The Vanishing Of Sidney Hall

Name: The Vanishing Of Sidney Hall
Genre: Drama, Mystery
Released: March 2, 2018
Duration: 119 min
Rating: 18
Cast: Ariane Rinehart, Blake Jenner, Elle Fanning, Janina Gavankar, Kyle Chandler

2018

METASCORE

Overwhelming dislike based on 11 Critic Reviews

See All

USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 24 Ratings

See All

6.8

VOTE NOW

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

6.8	Your Score
6.8	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 24 Ratings

Would you like to write a review?

There is a 75 character minimum for reviews. If your review contains spoilers, please check the Spoiler box. Please do not use ALL CAPS. There is no linking or other HTML allowed. Your review may be edited for content. 0/5000

Check box if your review contains spoilers

Play Sound

Please enter your birth date to watch this video:

You are not allowed to view this material at this time.

The Vanishing Of Sidney Hall

Now Playing: The Vanishing Of Sidney Hall

Movie Details & Credits

A24 | Release Date: March 2, 2018 | R

Starring: Ariane Rinehart, Blake Jenner, Elle Fanning, Janina Gavankar, Kyle Chandler, Logan Lerman, Margaret Qualley, Michael Drayer, Michelle Monaghan, Nathan Lane, Tim Blake Nelson, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II

Summary: Sidney Hall harbors a precocious talent for writing. His classroom essays exhibit a danger that some find off-putting, though one teacher recognizes his talent and urges Sidney to pursue a writing career. Early success with his first novel makes Sidney a celebrity, though his dystopian observations about suburbia provoke tragic outcomesSidney Hall harbors a precocious talent for writing. His classroom essays exhibit a danger that some find off-putting, though one teacher recognizes his talent and urges Sidney to pursue a writing career. Early success with his first novel makes Sidney a celebrity, though his dystopian observations about suburbia provoke tragic outcomes among some young readers, cloaking his name in scandal. Heightened scrutiny and expectations haunt him, as do dark secrets from his past that complicate his creativity, and interfere with his chances of finding love with a childhood sweetheart. When the disillusioned writer has all but disappeared from public life, a mysterious detective seeks the answer to his mystery.… Expand

Director: Shawn Christensen

Genre(s): Drama, Mystery

Rating: R

Runtime: 119 min

See All Details and Credits

Watch Now

Buy on

Stream On

Expand

Metascore

Positive:

Mixed:

Negative:

Critic Reviews

Movie Nation Roger Moore

Feb 28, 2018

“Vanishing” is ambitious, but in every trite, pat and melodramatic way you can think of. Read full review

The Playlist Joe Blessing

Feb 28, 2018

While there are a few intriguing themes and ideas at play in The Vanishing of Sidney Hall, once the viewer perseveres through the over-editing the final product is disappointing. Read full review

Geoff Berkshire

Jan 10, 2018

Sidney Hall strings its audience along on a tedious journey that runs out of steam long before reaching an embarrassingly overwrought finale. Read full review

Tatiana Craine

Mar 1, 2018

The Vanishing of Sidney Hall fails to give its characters depth, leaving viewers with little more than a shallow white guy troubled by his fame. Read full review

The Film Stage Jordan Ruimy

Jan 10, 2018

A manipulative mess from start to finish. Read full review

Derek Smith

Feb 25, 2018

The seesaw of effect of oscillating between extolling Sidney’s genius and lingering on his anguish begins to feel like a child slowly burning an ant with a magnifying glass, occasionally taking breaks to truly savor the harm he or she is committing. Read full review

RogerEbert.com Glenn Kenny

Mar 2, 2018

On the plus side, the movie’s production values are very nice and its cast is notable. And as it happens, neither of those are pluses, because what they mean ultimately is that good money is put into this kind of worthless woman-hating garbage even now. Read full review

SEE ALL 11 REVIEWS

Write a Review

User Reviews

Enixy1

Mar 13, 2018

I don't understand all the negative reviews - I absolutely LOVED this movie - one of the best I've ever seen. Flashbacks were gut wrenching. A brilliant film with 1st class acting.

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

kaifahmed

Mar 22, 2018

i love the flash-forward parts those were amazing, i have not seen these types of movies much but i really love the movie

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

Lord0r

Oct 9, 2018

Please, do yourself a favour, don't read the critics' comments which make absolute no sense and watch this movie. It is truly a great movie about life, choices that we make and, most importantly, choices that we do not, things that happen that you have no control over.
Because those are thePlease, do yourself a favour, don't read the critics' comments which make absolute no sense and watch this movie. It is truly a great movie about life, choices that we make and, most importantly, choices that we do not, things that happen that you have no control over.
Because those are the ones that will destroy us the most, those are the ones that we will forever think that we could have done something about it.

I watched a lot of movies in my life but I never watched one as great as this one and it makes me so sad that the critics did not get it, because it is truly well made. The world needs to see this and the movie needs to reach a much greater audience. I just happened to see the trailer on Youtube and I am so glad that I did. Those that didn't like it I believe were either shocked and negatively affected by the story and reacted negatively because of it or just didn't pay attention to the story. It is not clear at the beginning what exactly is happening as the director travel through different periods of time of the life of the protagonist. But I assure you that at the end everything will be clear and you will fall in love with the story and its concept behind it.

Please, please, take 2 hours of your life and watch this movie, you won't regret: great cinematography, great acting, amazing screenplay.… Expand

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

Aproxx

Aug 11, 2018

This is a Spielberg movie (100% manipulative with the editing, score, acting)...but only better by the way the story is told (non linear).

It has surprises (something that Spielberg probably doesn't know what it is)... and all the cliché beats that you can expect if you see the trailer. AThis is a Spielberg movie (100% manipulative with the editing, score, acting)...but only better by the way the story is told (non linear).

It has surprises (something that Spielberg probably doesn't know what it is)... and all the cliché beats that you can expect if you see the trailer.

A possibility for the critics not liking this movie is that the protagonist is a white male and nobody else in the movie matters that much and all serve to complete his story... They might be offended by it? Maybe? I don't get it

But yeah, mostly: Only Spielberg can be manipulative… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

tipar

Nov 29, 2018

If you do not get touch by this movie then you are the psyco. Very emotive but besides that the Mystery there is just awesome and we do not get to know everything until almost the end. The way the three eras are intertwined... almost magic. Logan and Elle equally cute. I loved the "are youIf you do not get touch by this movie then you are the psyco. Very emotive but besides that the Mystery there is just awesome and we do not get to know everything until almost the end. The way the three eras are intertwined... almost magic. Logan and Elle equally cute. I loved the "are you really a girl?" line.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

JLuis_001

Mar 19, 2018

Unbalanced, pretentious, it believes to be more intelligent than what it actually is and is incredible considering the poverty of its structure and the little plot development the characters have. Its mystery is not bad but frankly it doesn't offer anything strong or solid enough to justifyUnbalanced, pretentious, it believes to be more intelligent than what it actually is and is incredible considering the poverty of its structure and the little plot development the characters have. Its mystery is not bad but frankly it doesn't offer anything strong or solid enough to justify its existence.… Expand

2 of 2 users found this helpful20

Mauro_Lanari

Aug 12, 2019

(Mauro Lanari)
The film centers around a famous young novelist with a negligible life until a couple of melodramatically tragic twists, to which he reacts by deciding to return to anonymity (Mr. Nobody). Such an empty existence of an embarrassing presumption is depicted with a non-linear(Mauro Lanari)
The film centers around a famous young novelist with a negligible life until a couple of melodramatically tragic twists, to which he reacts by deciding to return to anonymity (Mr. Nobody). Such an empty existence of an embarrassing presumption is depicted with a non-linear narrative, through elliptical flashbacks and flash-forwards on three different timelines. In the absence of a substantial content, the expressive form is messed up.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

SEE ALL 7 REVIEWS