1st half of the movie was good. Had potential. But other half is just bad. Not worth losing 2 hours.
Great acting by Mullan & Butler in particular. As many have stated the first half is stronger than the second, but it's still recommended for a one time viewing. Very slow in parts deliberately, if you can stay on board you'll be rewarded...7.1
Forget the other reviews on this page; this is a suspenseful and well-acted movie that is well worth a watch. Admittedly, the first half is stronger than the second, but you shouldn't let that stop you from watching.
The Vanishing has a decent plot, however there is definitely more to be desired. While the film's exploration of obsession and the human psyche is intriguing, the pacing can be slow at times, and the plot lacks some of the depth and complexity found in other films of the genre. As for the performances, while Gerard Butler delivers an okay performance, it's not quite up to the same level as some of his other roles. That being said, the film's other actors deliver strong performances that help keep the tension and suspense high.
I found my will to finish watching this movie vanishing.
Gerard Butler (currently on big screen in the third of the ridiculous yet fun Has Fallen series, Angel Has Fallen ) stars in this much more intimate thriller as one of three Scottish lighthouse keepers who's disappearance remains a real life mystery. Very well acted and with great atmosphere, this thriller deserves to be better known than it is as it's among Butler's more accomplished work
I stopped watching after 75% of the movie - i completely lost interest in the movie.
Then I came here and saw that others feels exactly like me - The first half is charming with the scenary, bleek atmosphere and somewhat of suspence, but after some events occur in the story, everything start to mess up and it simply wasn't worth following up :)
So I leave it like that, i'm taking the others' advice and i'm now going to sleep.
Review by ner0BlockedParent2019-01-05T16:35:10Z
This isn't actually a comment, it's a rant...
The movie goes from interesting and mysterious to stupid and idiotic.
3 guys working shifts on the lighthouse of a small island find a small chest with a dozen gold bars, recovered from a salvaged loot that hit their shore. The apparently dead body near their loot isn't dead and tries to murder one of them, but gets killed in the process. They keep the secret and the gold. Soon after two strangers arrive looking for their dead mate, and more importantly, the looted gold. One thing leads to another and they soon become involved in a fight for their lives. After prevailing, a shadow appears outside of the lighthouse... afraid, they chase that figure until the character portrayed by Gerard Butler kills the runner with a swift cut of the neck using his crab-hunting hook. The figure he killed was a ~12yo child, I'm guessing the child came with the two other deceased pirates, even though it's stupid enough. From there on James (GB's char) enters a delusional state that jeopardizes the 3 companions. The rationale behind the steering direction into sheer stupidity wants us to (vaguely) believe that mercury poisoning was somehow involved, although the most stupid character (Gerard Butler's) was not necessarily in direct contact with the substance, and certainly not as much as other characters might have been. Unclear.
TL;DR: Scenery, music, and acting is great... you enjoy half the movie and then it steers into a great anti-climatic and frustrating 2nd half, ending in the same direction as Gerard's character. I would have unseen the movie if it were possible because the bad parts cancel the good ones. Negative, but candor, a waste of my time - despite the beautiful cinematography.