The Vanishing of Sidney Hall

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2:24

The Vanishing of Sidney Hall

R

2018

1h 59m

Mystery & Thriller

Drama

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Popcornmeter

12%

Tomatometer

26 Reviews

77%

Popcornmeter

500+ Ratings

An enigmatic detective embarks on a cross-country search for a once-prominent author who's mysteriously disappeared after a string of dangerous arsons have targeted his celebrated but controversial first novel.

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Critics Consensus

There's no mystery here: The Vanishing of Sydney Hall may be nicely shot, but it is ultimately vapid and forgettable.

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Glenn Kenny

RogerEbert.com

03/02/2018

0/4

In the unlikely event that you've ever been truly curious as to how much M.F.A.-style toxic masculinity can be packed into one motion picture, you ought to check out The Vanishing of Sidney Hall.

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Robert Abele

Los Angeles Times

03/01/2018

The most passable lens through which to watch writer-director Shawn Christensen's risible indie drama "The Vanishing of Sidney Hall" is by counting the many ways it grates as both an agonized-artist pity party and a male fantasy of envied power.

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Jeannette Catsoulis

New York Times

03/01/2018

A tortured mystery dripping with pretentiousness.

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Dominic Griffin

Spectrum Culture

07/17/2019

1/5

There's a lot of mysteries to solve here, but the most important one is whether or not anyone will find a worse film released in 2018.

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Brent Hankins

The Lamplight Review

04/09/2019

3/10

Directed by Shawn Christensen from a screenplay he co-wrote with Jason Dolan, The Vanishing of Sidney Hall meanders its way through an excruciating two hours, and seeing the film through to completion is like an exercise in self-flaggelation.

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Sean Mulvihill

FanboyNation.com

10/30/2018

1/5

As hard as it tries - and, oh boy, does it try - The Vanishing of Sidney Hall is a film of artistic flourishes looking for a story it has no real clue how to tell.

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Susan Y

@YoxSue Feb 11

Such an emotional movie! Brilliant, confusing, and straight to the heart! You find yourself understand ing each character and getting pulled into their lives almost violently at times! Brilliant performance by each and every character! The blending of all of their lives with the final outcome it’s gonna stay with you forever stick in your heart like a thorn! But don’t let that stop you because it’s a story that needs to be told!

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Phil B.

@IveSceneIt Jan 22

Solid performances by all, well shot and a solid story line.

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Horror fan 4

@Horrorfan4life Jan 21

It had a wonderful cast but it wasn't what I'd thought it would be. When the writer goes missing I was thinking about a kidnapping situation or possibly murder. This was a little bit of a let down for me. There was plenty of drama but not much else. The ending was sad and normally I'd cry but I didn't have that kind of connection to these characters. Tim Treakle

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Gina P

@Dogrsqr Jan 6

I liked this movie. Made me think about how creative people's life work is constantly judged by others and how that judgement can shape their lives. There are really many messages in this movie if you bother to look for them. I do like all the actors/actresses playing the major roles.

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Suzan T

@SGClark Jan 5

Good story, but characters seemed missplaced or not a good fit with each other: It's a hard match when the men are seasoned actors but the females are not. Most of the story is unbelievable: would not recommend. Also, it was hard to keep up with what was in the past, current or future: confusing. Hospital scene (totally unbelievable).

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Ruth H

@HardheadedWoman Jan 4

Not only did Sidney Hall vanish but so did this movie. Glad that I found it on Netflix. Despite what critics say, it’s beautifully done and it will break your heart. Always happy to see Kyle Chandler.

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The Vanishing of Sidney Hall: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

An enigmatic detective embarks on a cross-country search for a once-prominent author who's mysteriously disappeared after a string of dangerous arsons have targeted his celebrated but controversial first novel.

Director: Shawn Christensen
Producer: Jonathan Schwartz
Screenwriter: Shawn Christensen, Jason Dolan
Distributor: A24
Production Co: Super Crispy Entertainment
Rating: R (Some Sexual References|Language)
Genre: Mystery & Thriller, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 2, 2018, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 2, 2018
Runtime: 1h 59m

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