The Vanishing of Sidney Hall

Appeals to viewers who enjoy emotionally layered literary mysteries that piece together a troubled writer’s life through shifting timelines and intimate relationships.

Tone

melancholic, cerebral, bittersweet

Payoff

revelation, reflection

Pacing

steady

Intensity

moderate

Structure

non-linear

Themes

artistic ambition, love and loss, guilt, identity, disappearance

Setting

contemporary, small-town homes, college spaces, and urban literary circles