Évanouis dans la nuit

First the Netflix description (at least in the U. S.) is somewhat misleading. It implies a grieving dad revenge actioner or mystery in the mold of Taken or The Postcard Killings. It isn't, it's more of a slow burn thriller focused on the interpersonal drama of a small cast of characters.

Even once you realize that and temper your expectations, the movie's not particularly interesting. None of the characters is sympathetic enough for you to care what happens to them. Without any character investment there's no real sense of threat or danger.

The big twist doesn't get enough time to breathe. It's introduced, it's perplexing for a moment, and then it's resolved right away. The movie's technically competent and decently performed but it fails to sustain any suspense or tension.

The movie could have been quite good, but there are so many things that happened which stayed unexplained. What's the reason for their divorce? Why his wife didn't ask for the custody without setting him up? When she took the kids in the middle of the night she gave them the injections they didn't feel? Then Pietro, he didn't hear the car coming at night in the middle of nowhere? He left the boat to the police officer just like that?! He didn't close the bag full of packages letting them fall on the street? Why did he actually fight with Nicola? There are too many questions and zero answers. Nothing in the story had developed, including the ending....

I didn't look at reviews before watching this movie.

After watching it, I'm surprised ratings are 5.3/10.

I give 7/10.

Good storyline and twists.

Man and wife are in the middle of a bitter divorce and that includes children custody.

Plus the man has someone chasing him for collecting a lot of money from the man. Ultimatum given.

Threats

Then one night, his children disappear and man has to go to extraordinary lengths to find them. He is prepared to do everything possible to find them.

However man has to face a lot of dangers and dangerous people.

I like how the storyline developed.

The actor playing the role of the man desperately looking for his children is excellent !

And the extremely disappointing and forced end made me regret the lost time. Slow action, weak script, bad cast. I didn't empathize with the characters at all. Who can believe such a story? And what is a story that cannot be believed? Science fiction? But this was supposed to be a thriller, not a science fiction movie. I didn't feel any thrill of any kind. Just boredom. Why have two children in a foreign country, with a foreign man, if you don't want to live in that country? I would have understood if it was one child, but why two?? And what was actually the problem of the wife, because of whom she wanted to leave back to her country? She couldn't stand her husband but she gave him a lot of money as a loan... why? And the questions can go on...

Shot with a Hitchcockian feel, this movie had some really lovely edge of your seat moments, however, it is let down by an anti-climactic ending that doesn't make any sense. It feels like there needs to be more of a build up before it gets to the action. It feels like lazy writing. Without giving too much away, it is worth a watch for the riveting scenes, where the father has to do a drug run. Sadly, after that, the plot falls flat. At the end you are left a little confused, as everything is resolved very quickly and without much logic. The actors do the best with what they are given. I wasn't sorry I watched it, it just could have been so much better.