Release Date: 2025 Length: 128 min
“The night before, at 2:17 in the morning, every kid woke up, got out of bed, walked downstairs, and into the dark. And they never came back.”
Director: Zach Cregger (Known for Barbarian) Writer: Zach Cregger Actors: Julia Garner (Known for Ozark, Inventing Anna, Fantastic Four: First Steps), Josh Brolin (Known for Avengers: Infinity War, No Country For Old Men, Dune), Alden Ehrenreich (Known for Solo: A Star Wars Story, Oppenheimer, Hail, Caesar!)
Summary: When all but one child from the same class mysteriously vanish on the same night at exactly the same time, a community is left questioning who or what is behind their disappearance. -IMDb
Overall Thoughts: I’ve watched a lot of horror films in my life, making it difficult for me to truly get scared. This film, however, definitely terrified me in certain scenes. What I love about this film is that it can make the audience afraid of the very simplest of things that inherently shouldn’t be scary, and yet they are. For example, a scene that appears several times in the trailers is the character of Marcus, played by Benedict Wong, running through the streets for a long time until he reaches Julia Garner’s character, Justine Gandy. That explanation by itself doesn’t sound scary in the least bit, but the way that the character runs and the expression on his face are what bring the terror in that scene. With this thought in mind, it’s important for me to mention what an incredible cast this was. I think that for many people, it will come as no surprise when I say Julia Garner and Josh Brolin excel in this film, because it is difficult for them to do bad in any role. However, the performances of the supporting cast members like Benedict Wong and Austin Abrams are also extraordinary. Without a strong supporting cast, this sort of film would never be able to succeed. I’m also a huge fan of the way the director Zach Cregger chose to tell this story. For those who have not yet seen this film, it is shown as a nonlinear narrative. This simply means that the film is presented in separate chapters from several different characters’ points of view, with each perspective adding key information for solving the mystery. I love this because I think it leaves the audience in suspense and immersed in the mystery, while also allowing each character to shine. Now here is where I give my one critique to this film. Before I do so, I want to reiterate that I really do love this film and recommend it to anyone who is a fan of mystery and horror. However, what initially attracted me to this film was the idea that these children never return, and the community must try to solve that mystery. I think that explaining the mystery at the end and having the children actually come back (even though they technically weren’t supposed to) destroys the terror and intrigue. The exact moment we as the audience find out who is responsible for the disappearances is the exact moment that I became unfraid of this film. Everything up until then, however, was scary to me. Believe me, I get it, no one likes not knowing what actually happened, but what if that actually is the best ending? I also think that would have been a great ending to show what usually actually happens in these sorts of terrible situations, where a child goes missing, which is that the family never finds out what really happened. Perhaps showing the community grappling with that loss would have been better. Again, none of these critiques should take away from the fact that this is a great film and a must-watch for mystery fans.
Ratings: Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 94% My Rating: 85%
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