Disappeared is a British thriller released in 2008. The film delves into the subject of dementia in a blurred world where reality becomes mixed with lucid visions.
Matthew Ryan (Harry Treadaway) was supposed to be watching his younger brother, Tom (Lewis Lemperuer Palmer), instead of partying with his friends. Tom goes out to a nearby playground, never to be seen again. Stricken with grief, Matthew ends up hospitalized with unspecified mental issues. When he is released to his father's (Greg Wise) care, he appears to quickly spiral downhill. His father begins acting strangely, drawing Matthew's suspicion. Is his father somehow involved in the disappearance of several local children? Matthew must sort out the voices in his head before he winds up with a return trip to the mental ward.
The Disappeared is a relatively straight-forward thriller. It is subdued with a great deal of sluggish pacing. Director Johnny Kevorkian wrote this story along with Neil Murphy. Together, they create a story that trudges along, waking the audience up every once in a while with mildly exciting chase scenes. However, the suspense elements are well crafted, creating that nice tension that makes you want to race through the scene. The characters were also well crafted, with the mental health issues creating enough of a diversion to keep the story interesting. The concepts at work are not original...making elements of the story predictable. But the writing managed to eke out a decent enough plot to keep my interest.
The story centers primarly on Matthew's struggle with his inner demons, which requires Treadaway to carry much of the film himself. He does an admirable job, allowing the audience to buy into the story with a solid performance. Greg Wise, Ros Leeming and Alex Jennings all lend support to the primary role, with strong supporting performances. The film makes up in casting what it lacks in pacing.
The Disappeared was difficult to hear at times due to fluctuating volume. The subdued tone combined with thick accents made the film hard to follow at times. The sluggish pacing seemed to be a product of the genre, but ten or fifteen minutes could probably be trimmed from the 96 minute run-time. For parents with younger children, be aware of the intensity of some of the scenes. The film depicts child murders, which are not violent but show partially buried children. The violence and intensity could cause nightmares, so I would recommend an audience beginning around ten years of age.
The Disappeared was a decent thrilled that could have been better. Sluggish pacing, dialogue clarity issues and some predictability created mild issues for me. I enjoyed the performances and subject matter and found the suspenseful moments rewarding. It just took a lot to build up to those moments. A decent thriller for a rainy day. 6/10.
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