Three lighthouse keepers on the remote Flannan Isles obtain a mysterious trunk, leading to their mysterious disappearance.

Based on the Flannan Isle mystery. A small relief boat approaches a tiny, isolated island where a lighthouse is located. They're to replenish the stocks and replace the crew of 3. After they dock no one greets them. The winch is broken. The lamps are clean and refilled; the table's laid for dinner. There's an upturned chair, 2 sets of yellow oilskins are missing - the 3 men have vanished.—Andy Evans

On an uninhabited island 20 miles from the rugged Scottish coast, three lighthouse keepers arrive for their 6 week shift. As Thomas (Peter Mullan), James (Gerard Butler) and Donald (Connor Swindells) settle into their normal quiet routine, something unexpected, potentially life-changing occurs - they stumble upon gold. Where did it come from? Who does it belong to? A boat appears in the distance that might hold the answer to these questions - What follows is a tense battle for survival, fed by isolation, paranoia and greed, leading three honest men down a path of destruction—Andy Evans

The Saban Films release "The Vanishing," with Gerard Butler, Peter Mullan, Connor Swindells, Soren Malling, Olafur Darri Olafsson and Gary Lewis.

Also known as "The Flannan Isle Mystery," where in December 1900 investigators find that the Scotland west coast lighthouse abandoned by the three men employed there. This story became inspiring a famous poem by Wilfrid Wilson Gibson, his epic, Flannan Isle. There are also more recent artistic representations in various media, from a novel, an opera, and a video game.

To date there has been no conclusion to what had happened to these men, James Ducat, Thomas Marshall and Donald MacArthur. There have been theories over the years that the men were killed by pirates, eaten by animals and maybe kidnapped by aliens. However, "The Vanishing" seems to be falling between the stools of thriller and drama the tale grows steadily but really never reaches a credible outcome even with the powerful actors such as Gerard Butler and Peter Mullan.

After a storm, Donald makes a discovery down a deep crevice a dead man and his remnants of a small rowboat. When the young man (Connor Swindells) is lowered to validate the man has died. However, once down the man springs to life and there is a huge struggle between the two men. The young man (Connor Swindells) is forced to kill the man or be killed. It comes to light that the man was protecting this small chest that stored gold bars. This is unknown to the three light house caretakers at the time.

The gold bars bring two more men to the island (Soren Malling and Olafur Darri Olafsson), who are seeking the man who had been killed. In this movie adaptation there are periods of vagueness of the story and this is one of them. There is no clarification of where the gold is from, why was their mate washed up in a crevice with the gold. The viewer is left to formulate their own conclusions.

The story outlined by Celyn Jones and Joe Bone do not clarify if this is a crime melodrama or a psychological thriller. Nor does Danish director Kristoffer Nyholm, making his theatrical feature debut after numerous well-received TV cliffhangers ("The Killing," Taboo" and The Enfield Haunting") do a good job of having the audience truly understand what is going on. Leaving them with a bland and weak story that never comes home.

"The Vanishing" starts slowly and continues slow throughout the film never gaining a decent momentum. Johansson's widescreen cinematography, and other tech/design contributions does capture the viewers' attention but never delivers the overall expectation of a movie with Gerald Butler in it. There are fighting scenes, killing scenes and bloody scenes with no conformity of reason or definition of actions or clarity of story. High character conflict with sometimes moderate suspense just never delivers a good solid logical premise for the vanishing of these here men.

So, of the three men, one is killed (Connor Swindells) by another (Gerard Butler). No one really knows why. Then the man that kills that character (Gerard Butler) is driven on the ocean with the boat that was used by the two earlier men seeking the gold who had been killed by the three. Here you see the third character (Peter Mullan) slips the first character (Connor Swindells) slipped into the ocean after a good bye kiss from the third character (Peter Mullan), then the 2nd character (Gerard Butler) slip off the boat into the ocean off an idling boat and come back up where the third and last of the three caretakers (Peter Mullan) holds his the 2nd character (Gerard Butler) under water so he drowns and slips deep into the ocean. Then the movie is over fade to black with the third character (Peter Mullan) still on the boat. Leaving the viewer to draw their own conclusion of what the third man (Peter Mullan) does. Uneventful, curious, and very unsatisfying. "The Vanishing" is a great base story and could have been a good thriller with excitement and interactions between the players if just written better and with a better overall concept of the story. Easily could have been a great movie. After seeing it, the viewers are left with unanswered questions and bewilderment. Its sad to see an "ALMOST," great movie experience. The story falls short to fulfill even basic true elements of the" Flannan Isle mystery." - Martin Snytshuvel