The Disappeared

Although it might be considered a horror film, this British entry is actually a slow-simmering psychological thriller that offers an incisive portrait of a teenager named Matthew (Harry Treadaway), who suffers a mental breakdown after his younger brother is abducted while in his care. Returning home from the hospital, Matthew not only begins to hear his sibling's voice but also glimpses his ghostly image. Is something supernatural afoot, or is guilt simply getting the better of the lad? For most of its running time, The Disappeared is a striking character study, bolstered by sensitive direction from Johnny Kevorkian, gritty handheld cinematography by Diego Rodriguez shot in authentic run-down urban locales, and a remarkable lead performance by Treadaway. While there are frightening moments, the emphasis here is on eerie images and sound, not the graphic violence and gore so commonplace today. Tom Felton, who plays the elegantly evil Draco Malfoy in the Harry Potter movies, shows a very different side here as the protagonist's scruffy best friend. It's unfortunate that Kevorkian veers into more conventional territory at the end, but this misstep doesn't much blunt the considerable impact of this genuinely powerful, haunting little film. Recommended. (F. Swietek)