Watch the SPOILER review on YouTube
A solid mystery/thriller that starts off with a great concept and then takes a few left turns before reaching a mostly satisfying conclusion. The plot is revealed in the posters and trailers: A group a school children disappear into the night leaving the town grasping at straws and pointing fingers. Shockingly, a good portion of the film doesn’t spend much time dealing with solving this mystery. It’s more concerned how it directly or indirectly effects the main characters. The story is also broken up into chapters, each mostly following one of these characters and slowly teasing the answers. Ultimately, the third act begins to pull down the curtains and reveal some truths. And while the big reveal is a bit underwhelming, the execution of the story is done so engagingly that you’re completely locked in till the credits roll. The acting is fine, but the structure of the movie doesn’t give anyone much time to shine. One of the strongest aspects of the film is the directing and cinematography, The way the shots are chosen to show you exactly what you need to see., or hide something just off camera, both conveys what the characters are going through and also unsettle the audience.
*** out of *****