A new thriller-mystery out on Netflix in the US & Canada is THE VANISHED. If you look up the movie on IMDb, you'll see that Hour of Lead is the default title (at least as of writing this review). Whatever the word, fans of the suspense, mystery, and crime genres can certainly relate to the storyline.

There are pure horror moments and intense, exciting moments. Overall, it sounds more like a weird, modern twist on Virginia Woolf's Who's Afraid? A mystery within a thriller. It could easily have been a very good movie if only the plot had been more focused on the actual main subject.

For the record, the main plot is about a missing (possibly abducted) 10-year-old girl. The focus is especially on just how far her parents will go to get her back.

The rather solid casting of Thomas Jane, Anne Heche, and Jason Patric in the lead roles is a very good start for this movie. After all, many people will choose what to watch based on the cast. I am certainly one of them. Especially if I’m just browsing new additions to Netflix.

Personally, I have always been partial to Thomas Jane, so I will actually watch just about anything he’s in. And, let’s be honest, it hasn’t always been great. I loved him in The Mist (and was ultimately disappointed by the TV series adaption). Also, I really liked him in yet another Stephen King adaption, which was 1922 on Netflix. Even if I didn’t love the movie that much.

Then there was the more recent Breach which only featured Thomas Jane in a very small role. Now that was a damn shame since he was clearly the best thing in it (where he took the kitsch approach). However, with The Vanished, there’s no such issue since he is actually front and center for most of the movie.

As for Anne Heche (My Friend Dahmer) and Jason Patric (The Lost Boys), they deliver solid performances in The Vanished. Unfortunately, for all three actors, the story just isn’t that strong, so they can only do so much with what they’re given. I do want to mention Alex Haydon who plays the young Justin and left quite the impression during his few scenes.  Great performance from him!

The ending of The Vanished on Netflix

You’ll probably have guessed much of the ending of The Vanished plot ahead of time. There are clues and just the overall feeling to get you there. And yes, I’m referring to several of the plot twists. All of them are quite easily spotted along the way.

I don’t want to give away spoilers here, but the reactions of the parents (played by Thomas Jane and Anne Heche) feel off to me from beginning to end. This even made their acting feel crazy and erratic at times. Especially since the storyline continues to have more focus on their personal desires and relationship issues.

This continues to happen throughout the movie but is particularly annoying when the ending also gets wrapped up in this. Maybe you’ll like the ending of The Vanished more than me, but otherwise, consider yourself warned.

Download & Watch The Vanished on Netflix or VOD

Peter Facinelli is both the writer and director of The Vanished (which is also known under the title Hour of Lead on IMDb). This isn’t the first time Peter Facinelli has worked as a director or writer, and he already has more in the making. However, I’m sure most people will know him much better as an actor.

As an actor, you might know him from the Twilight franchise or maybe the more recent horror movie Countdown (2019). Also, he’s been in all kinds of TV series ranging from Glee and Supergirl to American Odyssey and S.W.A.T. And yes, he is also in this movie, but simply in a smaller supporting role.

I don’t know that this movie will do well for his future career as a writer or director since it has just 15% on Rotten Tomatoes. However, if the audience responds well to this movie, then he’ll be just fine. As of writing this, The Vanished has a very respectable 5.7 on IMDb. Check it out for yourself and find out if you like the style of Peter Facinelli as a filmmaker.

Personally, I’m not a fan of the movie overall. It’s too much all over the place. However, it definitely has potential and some impressive moments (plot elements and scenes) along the way. Lots of potential but also a whole lot of missed opportunity.

The Vanished (2020) is out on VOD and was added to Netflix in the US & Canada on January 15, 2021.