Vanishing on 7th Street :: A 63 Review

Original View Date: April 1st, 2011

After seeing the credits roll, my thoughts were, "this is either sensational or abysmal." It is a shame to say that 'Vanishing on 7th Street' is indeed a poor film.

First of all the premis was interesting. The trailer motivated me to go out for a casual viewing and there wasn't much time for excitement or expectations so I'd say this film did get a fair reviewing chance. Once the plot is set there isn't much to it. There's no explanation, no story; just characters surviving. It almost feels like a survival camp and it's a great thrill ride.

However that is all you're gonna get from this and the best part is you won't know this until the end. The ending is unexpected and thought provoking. It's just too bad that there aren't enough information given in the film for the thought to be complete. This was the biggest problem. The film, while trying to be allegorical cannot be because it focuses on being suspenseful than being meaningful. I thought the mysterious girl was a total slap on the face. I expected so much and the last five minutes, the climax, was killing me; I was desperate for an explanation...and the movie never gives it to you.

The characters are cliche and the situations brings out the worst cliches out of them. The panic they go through when they first see each other, the sudden outbursts and the slow process of becoming insane. Fortunately the actors are good performers and are in character all the time.

The lighting was creepy throughout the film and the soundtrack is mind blowing good. The two go hand in hand and set the uneasy atmosphere. However the film can go over board with this by ending the scene with a black screen. There are about twenty black screens throughout the whole film and it gets really, really, really old.

'Vanishing on 7th Street' had so much potential yet it failed because the filmmakers were lazy. A stronger plot, a little more detail (not a lot) and explanation could've turned this blockbuster movie into a masterpiece: thrilling and thematic. Instead 'Vanishing on 7th Street' is another 'Next'.

Oh, and the film broke my third rule: never have sudden kisses that pop out of nowhere.

Rating: ★★☆☆☆