The Vanishing (Spoorloos); George Sluizer (1988)

The film Spoorloos (considering we watched the original, I will refer to it's original title) is a film of psychological thrill and confusion. The plot of the film is interesting and woven together from the point of view of Lemorne and his family, as well as the point of view of the couple, Rex and Saskia. I would definitely call it a horror film because of the usage of many techniques that are shown in typical horror films. On the other hand, it approaches horror in a much more realistic and feasible sense. The opening scene is the first suspenseful moment, when they enter the tunnel and run out of gas. The shot is mostly dark but some light is shown at times. As soon as the audience is given a relief of light their eyes attach to that light until the next shot where they may readjust their focus. This is very useful in drawing the audience towards the sounds and music setting the tone for the scene but also the film as a whole. The entire film draws on the audiences psyche and social experiences while playing on their morals and deepest fears. Lemorne mentions attempting to break destiny and "jumping when you are predestined not to." This concept is very relatable for viewers because no one wants to conform to society but it happens anyways, and where we can change our "predestined actions," we will.