*Contains spoilers for this movie as well as the American remake The Vanishing*
Ever since I first saw the American remake, The Vanishing, more than ten years ago, I have wanted to watch Spoorloos because I've heard that it's a lot better than the American movie. I've never been able to find it at any rental stores though, but just last week it was released on DVD here in Sweden and naturally I had to see it as soon as possible.
First things first, Spoorloos is indeed a much better movie than The Vanishing. Everything from acting to execution. The fact that the great ending in Spoorloos is changed into some typical "let's kill the psycho"-ending in the American version is absolutely laughable. I sat watching this movie fearing that ending here as well, but luckily it didn't happen.
Spoorloos is a great drama about a sociopathic killer and his victims. I can't say I would ever think of this movie as a thriller because it is not suspenseful in the way I expect thrillers to be suspenseful. Now, that doesn't mean I like this movie less, in fact I probably like it more because it doesn't go the usual thriller route with the premise. Just as with the American remake, it could easily have gone to those extremes. I like it much better this way.
Ever since I first saw the American remake, The Vanishing, more than ten years ago, I have wanted to watch Spoorloos because I've heard that it's a lot better than the American movie. I've never been able to find it at any rental stores though, but just last week it was released on DVD here in Sweden and naturally I had to see it as soon as possible.
First things first, Spoorloos is indeed a much better movie than The Vanishing. Everything from acting to execution. The fact that the great ending in Spoorloos is changed into some typical "let's kill the psycho"-ending in the American version is absolutely laughable. I sat watching this movie fearing that ending here as well, but luckily it didn't happen.
Spoorloos is a great drama about a sociopathic killer and his victims. I can't say I would ever think of this movie as a thriller because it is not suspenseful in the way I expect thrillers to be suspenseful. Now, that doesn't mean I like this movie less, in fact I probably like it more because it doesn't go the usual thriller route with the premise. Just as with the American remake, it could easily have gone to those extremes. I like it much better this way.