In a harsh neighbourhood, a young boy disappears from a playground. His older brother, a teenager, is tormented by the idea that he should have supervised him more closely. Crushed, ill and embittered, he hears the child's voice - or does he ?
Now this is a relentlessly grim movie, and not only because it deals with the disappearance of a child and the tormented despair of its relatives. The story is set in a poor neighbourhood disfigured by substance abuse and delinquency, where growing up is about as dangerous as walking the tightrope, even for adolescents lucky enough to have a full collection of relatives. Hope and comfort are as rare as blue roses and even the local church, which should be a beacon of spiritual help, falls down on the job. In fact it falls down on the job rather spectacularly : what should have been a place of innocence and a door unto Heaven becomes a sewer into Hell.
In other words, "The Disappeared" is not feel-good cinema : it makes for seriously dark and sombre viewing, from the first minute to the last. However, if you're willing to take this fact into your stride, you'll discover an intelligent, elegantly constructed horror movie with very good performances. It contains many a frightening moment and works up to a nail-biting confrontation between the teenage protagonist and a villain of extreme cruelty and evil.
Recommended.
Now this is a relentlessly grim movie, and not only because it deals with the disappearance of a child and the tormented despair of its relatives. The story is set in a poor neighbourhood disfigured by substance abuse and delinquency, where growing up is about as dangerous as walking the tightrope, even for adolescents lucky enough to have a full collection of relatives. Hope and comfort are as rare as blue roses and even the local church, which should be a beacon of spiritual help, falls down on the job. In fact it falls down on the job rather spectacularly : what should have been a place of innocence and a door unto Heaven becomes a sewer into Hell.
In other words, "The Disappeared" is not feel-good cinema : it makes for seriously dark and sombre viewing, from the first minute to the last. However, if you're willing to take this fact into your stride, you'll discover an intelligent, elegantly constructed horror movie with very good performances. It contains many a frightening moment and works up to a nail-biting confrontation between the teenage protagonist and a villain of extreme cruelty and evil.
Recommended.