Vanished: Left Behind the Next Generation (Digital)
Synopsis
Limited Theatrical Release – When a billion people around the world suddenly vanish, headstrong 15-year-old Gabby is thrust into adulthood way too soon. The event forces Gabby, her younger sister Claire, and the two teen boys vying for Gabby’s affection, Josh and Flynn, to try and figure out what has happened and how they fit into this dangerous new world.
Inspired by Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins’ New York Times best-selling books, “Vanished” features a cast from MTV’s “Teen Wolf,” Nickelodeon’s “Haunted Hathaway’s” and Lifetime’s smash movie, “Flowers in the Attic,” making it a tailor-made adventure for today’s teens, tweens, and other fans of the popular YA genre.
A fresh and modern “coming-of-age-during-the-apocalypse” story for the post “Twilight” generation, “Vanished” asks: What would happen if everyone you cared about was suddenly taken away? Girls will relate to Gabby and her struggles to deal with missing parents and big sister responsibilities, while wishing they were in her shoes when she’s forced to choose between the all-American hero, Josh, and the dark and mysterious Flynn. Guys will be pulled in by the suspense and cool new twist on the end-of-the-world adventure, just like “The Walking Dead” and “The Hunger Games.” “Vanished” takes its characters — and the audience — far beyond their own fears and desires. It opens them to the questions of purpose and whether their lives and choices matter.
Dove Review
‘Vanished” is an exciting and suspenseful new addition to the “Left Behind” series of films. This version is a “next generation” film. Gabby is a strong-willed teenage girl who is walking down the street with her mother, and she is being disrespectful to her. The next thing you know, a car accident happens right in front of Gabby. What’s even more amazing is that when Gabby (played by Amber Frank) checks out the car, there is no driver but only clothes left in the vehicle. Adding to the amazement, when Gabby turns around, her mother is gone, too! People begin to panic as accidents occur all around them. Soon it becomes obvious that a lot of people have vanished. But where did they go? Is there a pattern to this string of disappearances? Surely enough, they soon learn that the believers in Christ and the Bible are those who have gone missing.
The film takes a turn at one point and becomes more of a personal story, with Gabby and her sister Claire (Keely Wilson) searching for their father, who was estranged from their mother. Two friends accompany the sisters in their search, namely Flynn (Dylan Sprayberry) and Josh (Mason Dye). They find that their dad is in trouble. He is being held captive by a strange man named Damon (Tom Everett Scott), who grows a hydroponic garden while scoffing at the idea of God. He believes that he (Damon) is the only one with any answers that make sense, and he wants to force people to follow him and his ideas. He believes impending tragedy is coming on the Earth, and he sees himself as the one who can teach people how to survive. To make matters worse, he has men with rifles working for him, serving as guards in order to keep people from leaving. However, Damon’s wife, Sarah (Brigid Brannagh), is a compassionate woman who cares for Claire after she injures her leg and wants to help the teens escape.
The film has a few bloody scenes, particularly of young Claire’s leg, when she hurts it badly and Sarah stitches it up. It is a brief scene, but we suggest parents consult our content listing to make their own informed choices. We are awarding “Vanished” our “Faith-Friendly” Seal for ages 12-plus. It draws on possibilities of how the world might end, but hope, through God and Christ, is offered throughout this inspiring movie!