Vanished: Left Behind: Next Generation Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		3.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		1.5
Overall		2.5

Vanished: Left Behind: Next Generation Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman March 15, 2021

Tim LaHaye's Left Behind novel series took the Christian book world by storm when the first installment was published in 1995, fictionally predicting the end-time events based, foundationally, on Biblical prophesy while also incorporating both fictionalized drama and speculative happenings in a pretribulationism world. The 16-novel-strong series spawned a film franchise starring Kirk Cameron (and a Nicolas Cage movie) as well as a new book series, Left Behind: The Kids (also penned by the late LaHaye), a YA (Young Adult) series centered on the same concept. The 2016 film Vanished: Left Behind: Next Generation takes its cues from the latter series, following a foursome of young people who are not taken away at the time of rapture but instead find themselves seeking answers and seeking refuge from the remnants of humanity that would multiply in evil rather than take heed of the now revealed truths of scripture.

One day, seemingly normal in every way, a billion people vanish, instantly. Mass chaos instantly ensues. Now-driverless cars violently crash. Bodies disappear leaving empty clothes and a far emptier world behind. Those who remain scramble for answers as they scramble for their lives. Amongst the suddenly vanished is a mother of two. Her daughter Gabby (Amber Frank) is witness to her disappearance. Her sister Claire (Keely Wilson) and her father Eric (Jackson Hurst) are amongst those who remain on Earth. But when Gabby and Claire are separated from their father, they find they have no choice but to hit the road with two boys vying for Gabby’s affection: Josh (Mason Dye) and Flynn (Dylan Sprayberry). As they search for Eric they also search for meaning in madness, hoping to find answers – spiritual or otherwise – as to what has suddenly upended the world as they knew it. Along the way, the group encounters a dangerous, cultish prepper named Damon (Tom Everett Scott) and find themselves living in the shadow of the insidious antichrist.

The film plays as a dramatic interpretation not so much of the religious reasons for and reactions to the rapture but rather as something of an adventure story. The heroes are teenagers (and one 11-year-old) who experience the madness of a billion people instantly disappearing into thin air and struggle to find not just answers but safety in the suddenly redefined new world. Director Larry A. McLean capably crafts the film in this light, capturing the initial madness with appreciable tension and terror (though budgetary restrictions render the more spectacular side wanting; the film focuses more on reaction rather than action) and following to both plant ideas of the predictive future while also giving the heroes a taste of the near instant flip from sanity to madness as they find themselves guests, and then captives, of a madman who spent his life preparing for this moment, not necessarily the rapture but certainly for a societal breakdown and collapse. This villain is capably performed by screen veteran Tom Everett Scott who cannot push so hard as to lose the audience but who certainly conveys enough darkness to sell the illusion.

That is much of the film's problem: it tries to balance darkness and terror while still allowing the material to breathe within a relatively family friendly structure. It's definitely a bit too dark for very young audiences, but it is a relatively "safe" film for preteens and teens -- the target audience -- as it blends mild romance, tangible terrors, action-adventure, and some spiritual underpinnings that gradually reveal the truth of what has happened (watch for a cameo by acclaimed Pastor Tony Evans). Perhaps a film not so much of more boldness but certainly of more grit and realism would have proved more interesting, or a film with a more pronounced message of faith. The picture never seems quite sure of how far it can push the narrative or its characters, wanting to play it safe while also diving into troubled water -- but not too deeply. It's passably effective entertainment but it's also not so on-point as it might have been as a spiritual warning or a straight dystopian Action film, either.

Vanished: Left Behind: Next Generation Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Vanished: Left Behind: Next Generation was shot digitally with modest levels of essential success as the material translates to Blu-ray. The picture is capably clear and nicely detailed, certainly not to the razor-sharp extremes found in high end digital productions at the top of the Blu-ray universe but with enough core HD goodness to allow audiences to explore fine point facial elements, clothing, and environments with capable ease and efficiency. Colors are suitably vivid, lacking the raw intensity of the format's finest but finding pleasing depth and punch where applicable and yielding positive black levels in low light. There is some severe noise in lower light, but this is not a persistent issue in every darker scene. Additionally, viewers will spot readily evident banding across some solidly colored backgrounds, though again not so frequent as to make the most egregious of examples commonplace throughout the transfer. There's nothing at all remarkable here but neither does the image disappoint; a few flaws exist but are frankly expected of a digital production of a lower end film. This is about right on track with the expectations most Blu-ray veterans will have going in.

Vanished: Left Behind: Next Generation Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Vanished: Left Behind: Next Generation contains no lossless audio soundtrack options; a Dolby Digital 5.1 track is the only offering available. Even with a lossy encode, the 5.1 track is well effective. The opening music is agreeably lively, wide along the front, and satisfyingly immersive through the back. The track offers full, nicely realized environmental din. The first interior dialogue scene features honking horns and other assorted outside sounds with excellent feelings for spatial awareness. Such sounds are even more pronounced in the exterior scene to follow, but even for the rigorous, amplified sounds dialogue remains well prioritized. When the rapture takes place only minutes into the movie, the sudden surge of depth – a heartbeat effect as well as crashing cars and other sounds of suddenly realized chaos – is expertly complimentary to the scene. This is a very active track, satisfying in all the right ways both here and as the story progresses. Gunfire, crashes, and other prominent elements are agreeably defined and positioned around the listener. The speech heard through loudspeakers at film's end reverberates effectively and chillingly around the listener. General dialogue is clear and well prioritized as it remains grounded in the front-center channel.

Vanished: Left Behind: Next Generation Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This Blu-ray release of Vanished: Left Behind: Next Generation includes a Q&A with the cast and crew as well as a couple of plugs for Liberty University. No DVD or digital copies are included with purchase. This release does not ship with a slipcover.

• Q&A Live Event with Filmmakers, Cast and More (1080i, 29:45): The co-founders of Download Youth Ministry, Josh Griffin and Doug Fields, host a post-screening session with Amber Frank, Mason Dye, Dylan Sprayberry, and Keely Wilson and Producers Randy LaHaye and Dave Johnson to chat about the film.
• This Is Liberty with Humble Tip (1080p, 4:10): A music video promoting the school.
• The Liberty Story About Liberty University (1080p, 1:49): A video touting the school.

Vanished: Left Behind: Next Generation Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Vanished: Left Behind: Next Generation is a capable Christian film that allows its story to unravel its Biblical connection and themes. While the audience may be immediately aware of what is happening, the main characters are not. They hear rumors and mumblings of something supernatural -- it could be anything from gas to EMPs, they speculate and hear -- but they do not immediately make the connection to scripture. But come around they gradually do. Souls are saved and the film ends with a hint at the antichrist's rise to power and by extension a hint to future installments. Echolight's Bu-ray delivers capable 1080p video and 5.1 lossy audio. A few extras are included, only one of which directly relates to the film. Worth a look.