The Vanishing

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The Vanishing

1990

1h 46m

Mystery & Thriller

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Popcornmeter

96%

Tomatometer

50 Reviews

88%

Popcornmeter

10,000+ Ratings

Rex (Gene Bervoets) and Saskia (Johanna Ter Steege) are enjoying a biking holiday in France when, stopping at a gas station, Saskia disappears. Confounded, Rex searches everywhere, but to no avail. Three years later, he's still obsessed with finding her, pleading his case on television, putting up posters and ruining his new relationship in the process. Eventually an unassuming chemistry teacher, Raymond (Bernard-Pierre Donnadieu), approaches Rex, intimating that he knows what happened.

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Critics Consensus

A clinical, maddening descent into the mind of a serial killer and a slowly unraveling hero, culminating with one of the scariest endings of all time.

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Richard Brody

The New Yorker

Oct 30, 2020

Sluizer isn't among the more original stylists, but the literalness of his direction suffices to evoke the horrific and monstrous possibilities lurking behind the façades of ordinary life.

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Christy Lemire

ChristyLemire.com

Aug 20, 2018

3.5/4

It's an elegant, riveting piece of filmmaking.

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Michael Wilmington

Los Angeles Times

Oct 19, 2016

The appalling, horrific climax of The Vanishing will haunt your mind long after this film is over.

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Sarah Boslaugh

TheArtsStl

Mar 8, 2025

8/10

Saskia has about eight minutes of screen time total but creates an indelible impression during that limited exposure.

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Rene Jordan

El Nuevo Herald (Miami)

Aug 4, 2023

A film that is literally blood chilling. [Full review in Spanish]

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Nicholas Bell

IONCINEMA.com

Nov 3, 2020

4/5

Kubrick considered Sluizer's The Vanishing a truly terrifying film, and its power is in its unsettling simplicity as it explores the potency of its nightmare scenarios.

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B P

@Bradster69 5 days ago

Definitely Recommend It

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Murilo T

@RT77992987 Sep 9, 2026

Most dogshit movie i’ve ever watched, all the hype lives up to nothing and you will waste 1 hour and 46 minutes of your life for a mediocre ending that somehow gets praised.

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Simon W

@simonwillo Sep 2, 2026

This is, without a doubt, one of the best films you will ever see. Every frame is taken seriously, and the ending will rip your soul from your body, and won't give all of it back.

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David H

@RT78557869 Sep 1, 2026

I don’t think I’ve ever seen a better film. A riveting thriller, and a horrifying ending. The script t is superb, the visuals terrific, the acting first rate.

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Jose G.

@GONZO911 Jun 20, 2026

This movie was way too long. Subtitles and took too long to get to the point.

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Nicholas M

@mista72 Jun 19, 2026

I remember seeing this at the cinema, oh so long ago, and it pretty much scared me silly, as all horror movies do. It deserves the high rating. The performances were good and the plot was chilling. Do not see the remake, it is terrible. Johanna ter Steege does a wonderful job. This was made in 1988, where does the time go.

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George Sluizer

Director

Bernard-Pierre Donnadieu

Raymond Lemorne

Gene Bervoets

Rex Hofman

Johanna ter Steege

Saskia Wagter

Gwen Eckhaus

Lieneke

Bernadette Le Saché

Simone Lemorne

Immaculate Director Michael Mohan’s Five Favorite Horror Films

The 25 Scariest Movie Scenes of All Time

Now Streaming: The Returned, The New Yorker Presents, and More

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Synopsis

Rex (Gene Bervoets) and Saskia (Johanna Ter Steege) are enjoying a biking holiday in France when, stopping at a gas station, Saskia disappears. Confounded, Rex searches everywhere, but to no avail. Three years later, he's still obsessed with finding her, pleading his case on television, putting up posters and ruining his new relationship in the process. Eventually an unassuming chemistry teacher, Raymond (Bernard-Pierre Donnadieu), approaches Rex, intimating that he knows what happened.

Director: George Sluizer
Producer: Anne Lordon
Screenwriter: Tim Krabbé
Production Co: Argos Films
Genre: Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: Dutch
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 10, 1990, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 25, 2017
Runtime: 1h 46m

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