Three men begin their six-week shift tending to the remote Flannan Isles Lighthouse. Donald, the youngest, is inexperienced and learning the trade from James and Thomas. James has a family waiting for him on the mainland and Thomas is still mourning the loss of his own wife and children. After a storm, the men discover a boat, a body, and a wooden chest washed ashore. Donald descends the cliffs to check on the man, who appears lifeless. As they are hauling up the chest, the man awakens and attacks Donald. In self-defence, Donald bashes the man's head with a rock and kills him. Thomas is against opening the chest, but opens it alone, and keeps what he saw to himself. Eventually the other two give in to their curiosity and find several gold bars inside. Urging caution and secrecy, Thomas proposes they dispose of the body, sneak the gold back to the mainland, and lay low for a year before splitting their shares. Another boat arrives with two strangers, Locke and Boor, crewmates of the deceased. They interrogate Thomas, who claims the body and cargo have been reported and taken away, as per protocol. Locke and Boor leave, but attempt to contact the lighthouse by radio. Thomas and James are unable to respond due to their malfunctioning radio, revealing their lie. The strangers return with a fiery vengeance, circling the island until nightfall. In a violent struggle, James manages to strangle Boor and Donald kills Locke, using the. Sensing another intruder outside, the keepers chase him through the darkness and James slashes him with a hook. He is horrified to discover he has killed a young boy, reminding him of his son. After dumping all four dead bodies into the sea, the three men try to endure their remaining time on the island, despite mounting distrust and tension. James in particular becomes unhinged, secluding himself in the tiny chapel nearby. Donald grows uneasy and insists that he and Thomas leave with the gold. James suddenly reappears, apologising for his behaviour. Once Donald and Thomas have let their guards down, James locks Thomas in the pantry and strangles Donald. Thomas breaks free and subdues James by knocking him out. Finally ready to depart the island, Thomas and James board the boat with the gold. After throwing Donald's body overboard, James tells Thomas he cannot bear to live with his guilt and lowers himself into the water. He calls for Thomas, who helps him drown. Thomas holds James's head under water then sails on alone.
On review aggregatorRotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 85% based on 39 reviews, with an average rating of 6.4/10. The website's critics consensus reads: "Suspenseful atmosphere, an evocative setting, and a strong cast keep audiences invested throughout The Vanishing's patient approach to unraveling its mystery." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 64 out of 100, based on 10 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".
