The Vanishing

Directed by George Sluizer
Not Rated
1988    1h 46mThriller, Mystery
7.696%88%7.4
Watch on Apple TV
On Apple TV
Buy $14.99Sponsored
Rex and Saskia, a young couple in love, are on vacation. They stop at a busy service station and Saskia is abducted. After three years and no sign of Saskia, Rex begins receiving letters from the abductor.
  • Bernard-Pierre DonnadieuRaymond Lemorne
  • Gene BervoetsRex Hofman
  • Johanna ter SteegeSaskia Wagter
  • Gwen EckhausLieneke
  • Pierre ForgetFarmer Laurent
  • Bernadette Le SachéSimone Lemorne
  • Tania LatarjetDenise Lemorne
  • Lucille GlennGabrielle Lemorne
  • Roger SouzaManager (uncredited)
  • Caroline AppéréCashier (uncredited)
  • Didier RoussetTV Journalist (uncredited)
  • George SluizerDirector / Screenplay / Producer / Editor
  • Tim KrabbéNovel
  • Anne LordonProducer
  • Santiago Isidro PinArt Direction
  • Toni KuhnDirector Of Photography
  • Sophie DussaudCostume Design
  • Léone NoëlMakeup Artist
  • Beppie van de BergHairstylist
  • Lin FriedmanEditor
  • hairydemonMay 24, 2025
    One of the most disturbing slow burn films ever made. A beautiful exercise in dread.
  • DTSaitoSeptember 17, 2025
    Amazing what a film can do to you. This one is a must watch, don’t go for the Hollywood re-make. This will grip you by the throat. George Sluizer’s Spoorloos (The Vanishing) is one of the most chilling psychological thrillers ever made, precisely because it avoids cheap scares and focuses on obsession, dread, and the banality of evil. The film follows Rex, a Dutch man tormented by the disappearance of his girlfriend during a holiday in France. What begins as a simple mystery transforms into an unnerving study of how far one will go for answers—and how terrifyingly ordinary a monster can be. What makes Spoorloos unforgettable is its slow-burn tension and the way it denies the audience comfort. Bernard-Pierre Donnadieu’s performance as the calculating antagonist is disturbingly restrained, and the ending is as shocking as it is inevitable. This isn’t a thriller about finding the truth, but about the terrible price of knowing it. Still haunting decades later, Spoorloos remains a masterclass in suspense and a film that lingers in the mind long after the credits roll.
  • Caio César L. CoelhoMay 13, 2026
    It's important to recognize when a work is impactful, and its impact is felt through references over the years. It was a good journey to the end credits, even with one or two loose ends. Slow and effective.
  • adam820May 8, 2026
    Simple, yet highlyeffective, set against synthesizers that make your skin crawl.
  • mickerdooApril 7, 2026
    A view into the cost of knowledge via choice. The analytical research was interesting. Didn’t feel the payoff equaled the time commitment.
  • Sheila RoseMarch 29, 2026
    A slow burn thriller with a horrifying ending. I’ll probably have nightmares tonight.
  • George BananzaNovember 2, 2025
    Terrifying.

The Vanishing Trivia

Get Plex on Your Devices

Free on 20+ platforms. Pick yours.
See all supported devices →