The Vanishing Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.5

The Vanishing Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf April 27, 2019

Gerard Butler hasn’t enjoyed the most artistically satisfying career in recent years. In fact, he’s toplined a lot of garbage, with such titles as “Gods of Egypt,” “Geostorm,” and “Hunter Killer” tarnishing what remains of his star power. He’s never had the best taste in screenplays, but Butler finally locates material that fits him well in “The Vanishing,” a Scottish dramatization of the Flannan Isles Mystery, where three lighthouse keepers vanished in 1900 during their six-week stint on the island. While Butler is asked to play up his natural burliness, there’s also emotional darkness to manage, becoming part of a hauntingly performed psychological study. It’s some of his best work, finally focusing on something more than Hollywood domination.

After losing his wife and children to a tragic accident, Thomas (Peter Mullan) is ready to return to duty as a lighthouse keeper on Flannan Isles, joined by family man and friend, James (Gerard Butler), who’s eager to make some money to support his loved ones. Joining the men is newcomer Donald (Connor Swindells), a young man searching for employment, but unprepared for the discipline of lighthouse life, trying to make the best of a harsh situation. While tending to duty one afternoon, the men discover a shipwreck on the island, finding an unconscious man and a locked wooden box. When Donald is sent down to investigate, he’s attacked by the stranger, who ends up killed in self-defense. Unsettled by the event, Donald is nevertheless curious about the box, trying to persuade Thomas to open it. Initially refusing such a request, the elder keeper finally takes stock of what’s inside, soon coming face to face with Kenny (Gary Lewis) and his men, who’ve come to the island to find their lost shipmate and reclaim the box.

Credit must be paid to screenwriters Joe Bone and Celyn Jones, who managed to turn a defined resolution to this story (the missing lighthouse keepers were never found) into proper suspense, avoiding the finality of it all to concentrate on character. Indeed, there are only three active players in the story, giving the production a chance to dig deeper with the crusty men and their new hire, and “The Vanishing” manages exposition well, doing even better with procedure as the trio make their way to Flannan Isles to set up shop, cleaning the building and the glass, while Donald is shown the ropes with maintenance and repair, occasionally breaking the serious mood with horseplay, keeping James on edge. Director Kristoffer Nyholm achieves a proper sense of time and place in “The Vanishing,” generating necessary isolation and massaging awkward camaraderie among the men as they try to live with one another for an extended period of time, left with nothing but brutal weather, lighthouse duty, and, in Thomas’s case, the intensity of his own thoughts.

The tease of “The Vanishing” is found with the discovery of the wood box, which contains something men frequently kill each other for. However, while the contents of the find excite James and Donald, Thomas is much more cautious, creating a narrative for the trio to help cover their tracks when they return to the mainland. Other features would follow such mystery and paranoia to its natural conclusion, playing up formulaic tensions to a point of explosion. “The Vanishing” moves past it fairly quickly, transforming into a study of grief and shock, which slowly morphs into insanity. Murder is introduced to the island, which becomes poisonous to the characters, finding James pulled down into a psychological abyss when encountering extreme violence. It’s this severity that keeps the movie intriguing, treating loss of life with the enormity it deserves, with Thomas forced to snap out of his own widower haze to deal with the eroding behavior of his co-workers.

The Vanishing Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

"The Vanishing" is a very dark picture, largely taking place in the early morning hours, with dim sources of light illuminating the frame. Delineation suffers some during the AVC encoded image (2.39:1 aspect ratio) presentation, finding crush a periodic problem, solidifying thicker outerwear and nightscapes. Mild banding is also detected. Brightness brings out sharp detail, permitting examination of grizzled faces and costuming. Island geography is also defined to satisfaction. Colors remain intentionally muted, dealing with dark blues and grays, but bloodshed offers deep reds, and greenery is vivid.

The Vanishing Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 5.1 DTS-HD MA sound mix delivers an immersive listening event for "The Vanishing." It's a subtle track, with emphasis on dialogue exchanges, keeping thick accents approachable as dramatic needs are met (subtitles are available and quite useful), offering a satisfying frontal position. Surrounds support with defined atmospherics, tracking hard winds and churning waters during exteriors, while echoed interiors deliver intimacy. Music is limited but appreciable, with some character musicianship handling with distinct instrumentation. Low-end isn't taxed, but violent encounters offer weight.

The Vanishing Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• "Emerging from the Darkness" (8:10, HD) is a brief look at the making of "The Vanishing." Interviews with cast and crew (conducted on-set) lead the informational journey, learning the production was aiming to make a movie about "greed, paranoia, and madness." Script origins are detailed, with the filmmakers interested in dramatizing the true story of the Flannan Isles Mystery, which required finding a lighthouse to set the scene. Casting is examined, along with stunt choreography. Direction is celebrated, and brief recaps of costuming and the thematic push of the feature are included.

• A Theatrical Trailer has not been included.

The Vanishing Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

There are a few surprises to be found in "The Vanishing," but it's primarily about thousand-yard stares and gut-rot reactions to impulsive acts, which immediately separates the endeavor from similar examinations of greed. It's not friendly work by any means, but the grimness has an appealing intimidation factor, and casting is spot-on, with Butler getting inside his character for a change, not coasting on external appeal, and Mullan captures the pain of guilt with usual eye-deadening intensity. "The Vanishing" isn't true crime, with Nyholm using a century-old mystery to inspect hostile areas of humanity, employing the unknown to inspect the erosion of good judgment and the true price of violent encounters.