Disappearance (2002)
(In French, On Cable TV, July 2022) At times, it almost feels as if Disappearance will lead to a modest but sufficiently good little movie. But just wait, because like most things in this film, it’s just an illusion. The premise is classic enough to be promising, as a small ordinary family (mother, father, two boys) decide to go off-road in Nevada and check out a nearby ghost town for photography. But faster than you can say, “I’ve read that Stephen King novel,” things turn sour—strange remains, mechanical problems, and spooky apparitions. The rest of the film unspools in sequences that are either promising or stupid (and sometimes both thanks to made-for-TV production values hampering a script that’s occasionally too ambitious) but ultimately settles for extra-large idiocy by the time the moronic, unexplained shock-value conclusion rolls around. Despite some intriguing moments, Disappearance finally falls flat on its face. Those with long memories and a fondness for L. A. Law’s classic years will have fun noting that the film reunites Susan Dey and Harry Hamlin as the lead married couple. Otherwise, Disappearance is more frustrating than anything else—it shows promise and occasional moments, but can’t make anything cohere by the time its sorry excuse of a conclusion comes through.