'Vanishing on 7th Street' Movie Review

It becomes apparent that the darkness is no ordinary darkness; it's alive and out to get them. When the lights fade, the shadows creep in, and when all is black, poof, you're gone. The supernatural darkness even plays tricks on people, luring them away from the light with whispered voices, using their love for people lost in the (worldwide?) apocalypse -- Rosemary's son, James' mother, Luke's girlfriend -- against them.

Electronics no longer work, and every day, the sun rises later and sets earlier. As the generator in the bar begins to die, the survivors must band together and decide how they can elude the invading shadows.

For some, though, Vanishing will no doubt prove to be an exercise in frustration. It's dark (both figuratively and literally), vague, deliberately paced, talky in stretches and depending on how it's interpreted, pretentious in its high-minded attempt to convey a message...whatever it is. Still, while it's not for everyone, director Brad Anderson's steady hand maintains palpable tension (if not abject terror) throughout, and the storyline is intriguing enough to keep you embroiled -- if only to find out what the heck is going on.

In that way, it plays a bit like the TV show Lost; you put up with a frustrating lack of explanation hoping for a worthy payoff. And like Lost, that payoff may not satisfy a lot of viewers, but as a whole, the journey is largely enjoyable, thanks to a good cast, strong direction, intelligent writing and a creepy atmosphere built around a sense of impending doom.

The scares play off the universal fear of the dark by transforming darkness itself into a character, with anthropomorphic shadows lurking in every corner, waiting to pounce. In this sense, Vanishing covers similar ground to stay-in-the-light genre fare like Pitch Black and Darkness Falls, but with a much darker, more cerebral approach that feels at times more like a dramatic play than a horror movie.

Unlike most shallow horror movies, it's more about the human emotion of the situation than about jump scares, shock scenes or a big twist ending payoff. Anderson's approach is admirable, if not as entertaining or impactful as his previous foray into horror, Session 9.

• Acting: B- (A bit overwrought at times, but effective.)
• Direction: B (Tense, creepy and emotional.)
• Script: C+ (Intriguing in concept but frustrating in execution.)
• Gore/Effects: B- (Little gore, but effective replication of a mass apocalyptic event with a limited budget.)
• Overall: B- (Smart and scary but not completely fulfilling.)

Vanishing on 7th Street is directed by Brad Anderson and is rated R by the MPAA for language. Release date: February 18, 2011 (January 7, 2011 on demand).