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The Vanishing of Sidney Hall

Play trailer 2:24 Poster for The Vanishing of Sidney Hall R 2018 1h 59m Mystery & Thriller Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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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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The Vanishing of Sidney Hall

The Vanishing of Sidney Hall

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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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Critics Reviews

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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. Go to Full Review
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. Go to Full Review
Jeannette Catsoulis New York Times 03/01/2018
A tortured mystery dripping with pretentiousness. Go to Full Review
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. Go to Full Review
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. Go to Full Review
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. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Phil B. @IveSceneIt 5d Solid performances by all, well shot and a solid story line. See more Horror fan 4 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 See more 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. See more Suzan @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). See more 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. See more No N @LimaBravo Jan 4 Excellent script, performances, and production. The critics' rating of 12 validates my longstanding movie selection process of seeking films on RT with a low critics' rating and high audience rating. See more Read all reviews
The Vanishing of Sidney Hall

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Movie Info

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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