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A different premise in found footage films is something I get really excited about. Time and time again, we keep seeing young people doing stupid stuff and facing terrible repercussions. They are now influencers trying to garner attention by daring to cross the border between the acceptable and the forbidden. At some point it was forested, then it moved to houses, now to abandoned structures, and so on. The world of found footage is plagued with monotony and people who are desperate to cash in on what they perceive as a simple commodity.
It’s nice when you get something different though, and with DAY OF DISAPPEARANCE, you get a found footage film not only set in Hawaii but also incorporating (albeit very loosely) the concept of the deep supernatural history and lore of those islands.
In the Day of Disappearance, a novice who just took up vlogging recently gets shocked looking at how many people are actually glued to his content. He expresses his emotions in front of the camera through a vlog that showcases Hawaii, where he recently moved. Now, he is basically addicted to capturing everything that goes on in his life. He goes on trips with his camera in hand, and although the vlogs turn out to be quite cringe-worthy and the adventures appear a bit too enforced, there is progress as he slowly gets adjusted and gradually starts to grow comfortable with the idea of being recorded. During one of his ventures, he goes into a cave and finds an abandoned bag. The moment he brings it home, he gets captured by something. The background of his videos starts getting filled with unknown presences.
There is a caution for him to leave while it is possible to do so but when he learns that whatever it is that he has attracted has some knowledge of his father’s demise which happened when he was a child, he decides to carry on, regardless of the warnings and the risks to himself.
Hawaii comes across as a pleasant vacation destination, and it is also good to see that they shot a found footage film there. Like the one I recently watched from Barbados, I am very pleased to see the more exotic places getting used in this subgenre of films. We might not have a great deal of the islands but we do get a taste of it which is nice. There are some funny gags in this film with the best being the monster that is haunting the guy. I don’t know what to call it, but it is beautifully gory. It is extremely creepy no matter how many times you watch it or how long you watch it Shivers. The performer gives a very naturalistic portrayal, and while he is not good, he does his part in what is expected of him. My impression is that he is quite coarse but real. He doesn’t seem to be an actor.
Nonetheless, the movie runs for way too long, and the lore becomes proof of confusion there are parts where viewers will find themselves perplexed, wondering who is filming this, and several scenes crash the boundary and do not contribute to the film in any way. One is a scene of cutting that goes way too long, is needlessly real, and does nothing but get a cheap gross out. The other is a scene that strongly suggests an authentic grave robbing. While it is meant to be fake, it starts off with a convincing premise but then cuts away to an angle that removes the context of what the shovel is actually digging into as it seems to be a real cemetery, which is very poor taste.
It is worth noting that this film is well put together it does stay relatively good on things and has some really scary moments. That being said, it feels like it stretches for far too long, forgets its narrative, and overcomplicates things for no reason. There are some great moments, but the ending is incredibly unsatisfying.
It is okay to watch and does have some appeal. When it comes to the spirit of the film, however, the synopsis isn’t good enough. If they were going to try that hard, more effort should have gone into the story.
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