Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- brooding
- foreboding
- oppressive
- stormy night
- dark weekend viewing
What critics said
Critics generally found the film suspenseful and atmospheric, praising its evocative island setting and strong cast while noting its patient, sometimes uneven mystery.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The tiny lighthouse island, absent crew, and inaccessible sea dominate the film's tension.
The remote Scottish island, rough waters, lighthouse, and disappearance create a persistently austere mood.
The relief crew discovers an abandoned lighthouse with missing keepers, missing oilskins, and signs of sudden departure.
The film is based on the Flannan Isle mystery and places fictionalized lighthouse keepers within that maritime event.
Films like The Vanishing, and why
The Lighthouse
shared isolated setting, psychological suspense, moral pressure, and a mystery that unfolds through atmosphere rather than rapid action
Shutter Island
shared remote maritime environment, missing-person mystery, brooding tone, and gradual psychological destabilization
The Wicker Man
shared slow-burn psychological thriller structure, bleak atmosphere, and investigation shaped by uncertainty and guilt
Movie Details
- Director
- Kristoffer Nyholm
- Release Date
- 2019-01-04
- Runtime
- 108 min
- Rating
- 5.8 / 10 (809)
Cast
- Gerard Butler
- Peter Mullan
- Connor Swindells
- Søren Malling
- Ólafur Darri Ólafsson
- Gary Lewis
- Emma King
- Ken Drury
- Gary Kane
- Roderick Gilkison
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, Lionsgate+ Amazon Channel, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Howdy Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Vanishing about?
- Three lighthouse keepers disappear from a remote Scottish island, leaving behind a sealed-in mystery that corrodes the men sent to uncover it.
- What is The Vanishing like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Vanishing as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is The Vanishing violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in The Vanishing as moderate.
- What did critics think of The Vanishing?
- Critics generally found the film suspenseful and atmospheric, praising its evocative island setting and strong cast while noting its patient, sometimes uneven mystery.
- Which films are like The Vanishing?
- Films with a similar feel include The Lighthouse, Shutter Island, and The Wicker Man.
- How long is The Vanishing?
- The Vanishing runs 108 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Vanishing?
- In United States, The Vanishing streams on Amazon Prime Video, Lionsgate+ Amazon Channel, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Howdy Amazon Channel.
