The Vanishing

Directed by George Sluizer, The Vanishing follows Kiefer Sutherland’s Jeff Harriman as he attempts to find out what happened to his girlfriend (Sandra Bullock’s Diane) after she disappeared from a highway rest stop. Filmmaker Sluizer, armed with Todd Graff’s screenplay, delivers a slightly overlong but mostly satisfying endeavor that captures the viewer’s interest and attention right from the get-go, as the picture opens with an intriguing emphasis on the exploits of the man (Jeff Bridges’ Barney Cousins) responsible for said disappearance – with the impact of such sequences undoubtedly heightened by Bridges’ creepy, compelling turn as the cold and calculating villain. And while the movie’s midsection, which is focused on Jeff’s investigation and his fledgling relationship with Nancy Travis’ Rita, is perhaps not quite as taut as one might’ve preferred, The Vanishing boasts an assortment of electrifying sequences, including an initial confrontation between Sutherland and Bridges’ respective figures, that perpetuate the compelling atmosphere and, eventually, lead into a conventional yet completely satisfying climax – with the end result a first-class thriller that benefits from its uniformly engaging performances.

*** out of ****