Criterion Close-Up – Episode 53 – The Vanishing

Mark and Aaron cover the Dutch and French horror/suspense classic, The Vanishing. Having experienced this film numerous times before, we are able to explore the foreshadowing and narrative structure that led us on a wild journey to an even wilder ending. We talk about obsession, control, that harrowing ending, and yes, we even get into the American remake.

About the film:

A young man embarks on an obsessive search for the girlfriend who mysteriously disappeared while the couple were taking a sunny vacation trip, and his three-year investigation draws the attention of her abductor, a mild-mannered professor with a clinically diabolical mind. An unorthodox love story and a truly unsettling thriller, Dutch filmmaker George Sluizer’s The Vanishing unfolds with meticulous intensity, leading to an unforgettable finale that has unnerved audiences around the world.

Buy The Films On Amazon:

Episode Links & Notes

3:10 – October Horror Schedule

5:00 – Short Takes (The Tin Drum, Chevalier, Stop Making Sense, Tapeheads)

23:00 – The Vanishing

• Cinema Gadfly Episode 21 – The Vanishing


• Magic Lantern Episode 20 – The Vanishing


• The Vanishing – Criterion


• The Vanishing – IMDB


• Tim Krabbé – Cycling Profile


• Twilight Time – The Vanishing (1993 American Remake)

Episode Credits

• Mark Hurne: Twitter | Letterboxd


• Aaron West: Twitter | Blog | Letterboxd


• Criterion Close-Up: Facebook | Twitter | Email

Next time on the podcast: House