The Vanishing of Sidney Hall (2017)

-Written by Kyle Bain.

When the seemingly intrepid Sidney Hall (Logan Lerman) goes missing, a detective attempts to track him down. While the young writer does what he can to avoid the authorities at all cost, the trauma of his past is brought to light. The Vanishing of Sidney Hall is a story of how trauma affects us all, and the toll that it takes on those around us.  

Where to begin…?

Is it with the abundance of characters that are underutilized? Is it with the fractured narrative that doesn’t quite find its way? Is it with the heartbreaking meaning ingrained in this story? Is it with the performance of Lerman and the other cast members? Or is it with something else entirely? 

When you’re about to criticize a film that you also managed to truly appreciate, it’s hard to determine the right course of action--and I suppose there’s something to that, something that parallels the inability of Writer-Director Shawn Christensen and Co-Writer Jason Dolan to create something linear and connected. I’m aware that the intent behind the nonlinear storytelling was to represent the fractured nature of Sidney’s traumatic life; that much is clear. However, the duo, and predominantly Christensen, was unable to create something that was easy to follow, and there were an abundance of moments in which I felt lost in the shuffle of Sidney’s journey, past, more past, and present. 

The Vanishing of Sidney Hall tries incredibly hard to be something of a roller coaster in its mystery, appealing to audiences’ curiosity and allowing them to play along with the narrative. However, the mystery that was meant to exist throughout the course of the film ultimately falls flat, and that’s because there isn’t a mystery to follow. We know where Sidney is, we know where he’s going, and The Searcher (Kyle Chandler), who is meant to be something of a liaison throughout this journey, simply exists until near the conclusion of the film. 

The more I think about The Vanishing of Sidney Hall, the more I realize how flawed it is. And, yet, I still truly enjoy what Christensen was able to create. There’s something semi-immersive in this experience, something that has the potential to resonate with you, something that will punch you in the gut and have you reeling by its conclusion. As wildly out of sync as The Vanishing of Sidney Hall is with itself, it’s wonderfully human, effectively bookended by something brilliantly visceral and harrowing. By the time The Vanishing of Sidney Hall had concluded I thought back to the moments that had missed for me, that felt fractured in the grand scheme of the film, and I was able to appreciate many of them, understand their purpose and the intent behind them. 

Is The Vanishing of Sidney Hall a great film? Certainly not. But it has the potential to reach out and choke you, to remind you of the worst things in the world. Yet, in the same breath it reminds us of our humanity and begs us to be better. Even with the many flaws that plague The Vanishing of Sidney Hall, I found the strong performances, the meaning behind the narrative, and the heavy appeal to humanity to be enough to greatly tip the scales in favor of the film. 

Directed by Shawn Christensen. 

Written by Shawn Christensen & Jason Dolan. 

Starring Logan Lerman, Elle Fanning, Kyle Chandler, Michelle Monaghan, Blake Jenner, etc. 

8/10 = WORTH RENTING OR BUYING