The Vanishing is a 2019 thriller about three lighthouse keepers on a remote island who find a hidden trunk of gold, leading to their mysterious disappearance.
Owing as much to its eerie setting as its well-written dialogue and collection of good performances, Kristoffer Nyholm‘s taunt little thriller The Vanishing is a worthy distraction from the usual slog, despite some familiar themes. Smartly relying on its few characters and a sturdy build of suspense, this bit of Scottish mystery is a well-crafted little gem with a good deal to keep you guessing.
Set in the late 1930, two men, the weathered James (Gerard Butler) and new recruit Donald (Connor Swindells), join veteran Thomas (Peter Mullan) for a six-week tour of duty on a craggy island off the coast of Scotland to keep and maintain the lighthouse. All is mostly well until one day a body seems to wash ashore at the base of massive cliff, a wooden trunk at his side. The man is not dead however and what’s inside the box changes everything, leading to violent ends and all the more strangely, the men’s disappearance.
A character all its own, the small menacing looking island serves as a barren and isolated hollow for trouble, beginning with the dangers of mercury, used in the upkeep of the lighthouse. It’s the first of a number of worrisome omens it seems as a storm then leaves them another sign with gulls in the mix. The discovery of the box unearths deeper problems though, and works as a siren of sorts for real danger when others coming looking to collect.
What’s best about Nyholm’s film (written by Joe Bone,Celyn Jones and based on an actual incident) is how it plays close to expectation for much of the story before giving it a jarring twist in the last act that subverts what we think is coming. While it’s a talky affair, the dialogue is well weighted and surprisingly impactful as it all slowly closes in on the men. That’s made all the better by the isolation of the island, becoming a sea-centered prison with no escape.
Taking the time to carve out a trio of burly, burdened characters, The Vanishing (not to be confused with the George Sluizer‘s 1988 genre-defining film) earns most of its merits by giving these men a strong sense of time and place. Butler has never been better, which is to say he’s not really done this sort of thing before, skipping most of the action that’s made him famous for something a little more meatier. He really pulls us into the chaos of his mental spiral and genuinely gives the latter half some challenge. Mullen also is terrific, with a voice I could listen to for ages on end, helping to secure The Vanishing as an easy pick. Recommended.