I haven't read the other reviews yet, but did anyone get a laugh out of the names? Mike, Carol, Marcia? Where's Jan? Lol! The writers had a sense of humor at least! Gotta love Lisa & Brian with their tire iron sneaking up on Carol & Mike! Great revenge... more like a comedy than a tragedy! I was entertained..."Bark for me!" 😆 "Got an aspirin, Brian?" Just a couple of funny quotes. Watch if you want to double over laughing! 5 stars for comedy!
18 Reviews
Never Trust A Man Holding Two Guns
kupcr13 January 2021
Warning: Spoilers
This movie had a bad script. Wish the screenwriter Mark Sanderson gave me this script. I definitely would have tore it apart and made it better because this movie was terribly orchestrated and bad dialog, especially scenes when the vacationers arrive back from their vacation and already discover a family have broken in and taken over their house and 'stuff'. The actors are really great, but It could've been better. Also, the neighbour that followed the criminals into desert with the family blindfolded in the back of the van, got himself killed because he witnessed the whole charade. Not to give this away, but near the end, while there was a nine millimetre with a silencer on the bar, they still decided to beat them with baseball bats. This movie was rushed and not very well done. If this was actually real life, the family taken hostage would already have been killed and disappeared never found again and the ones who took the family hostage would have been already on their way spending the $350000 cash they stole from them.
Always take baseball bats to a gunfight!
Carriexoc15 March 2019
Terrible Movie
pmmartin-6215923 October 2018
Common Sense is Dead
umingmak-3341527 September 2020
Warning: Spoilers
At no point do any of our "protagonists" do anything logical or sensible. When the wife gets the gun, she should have just shot KidnapDad, since the gunshot would have been heard in their neighbourhood, it would've taken out an aggressor, and put the other two back on their heel. A gunshot in that neighbourhood would almost definitely have police notified, who would have to investigate. And, just to point out, "Silencers" don't actually silence a gun, they hide the muzzle flash. So, if any one of the kidnappers fired, it'd lead to the same thing, police would come to investigate the gunshots. Except, these people are idiots. They should've all died at the end.
Wish the whole cast died
kathyholls14 October 2019
Family vanished? Oh, if only! This movie is absolutely terrible. Ridiculous script, poor acting, and crap directing. I feel sorry for the camera crew.this must have been a free combo for most tv networks? Or a student film. Highlight: dad barking like a dog hahahaha. Another highlight: when it ended
Terrible movie
vincevas7 September 2020
Hilarious thriller
missraze18 April 2021
Not a hilarious thriller in a Quentin Tarantino way. But this was kind of funny. Hopefully they intended to make it kinda funny? Ok maybe not, and maybe the scenes where the robber family taunts and tortures the rich family were meant to make us hate the robbers, or fear for the rich family's life. Sorry, that didn't happen. I liked the robber family lol because they did a better job acting. The issue here is that people who make these movies are either effortlessly rich, or lucky and a rich person helped them with their crappy idea. And neither party can relate to normal people, so they don't know how to write, create or portray exciting situations in realistic ways. So sad. You won't believe how many wanna be directors and filmmakers there are too, especially in California where this was filmed. And how many of them socially network to get films like this put out. I laughed the entire time, and I don't think that was the idea. Now, if it WAS the idea, that's pure genius. Would I watch this again? Yes. But only if I'm in the mood to laugh when I have snacks. But not ever if I'm in the mood to be "thrilled." Even for a lifetime TV thriller this was weak.
Absolutely terrible!!!!!!
cba-498011 February 2021
Gripping Hostage Drama
lavatch5 April 2020
Warning: Spoilers
"Family Vanished" was an intense home invasion film in which a family returns from a vacation in Hawaii to be held captive in their own home.
The filmmakers offer insights into the nature of aggression as Brian and Lisa, along with their daughter April, are traumatized by the three intruders, who are also a married couple with a daughter.
The scenes are unpleasant and graphic as the captors taunt the family members and are able to walk away with $375,000 in cash. It is only due to the heroic efforts of the neighbor Peter, with whom Lisa had a one-nighter three years ago, that the family is not killed.
The most interesting part of the film was the final fifteen minutes in which Brian, Lisa, and April make a 180-degree turn towards revenge. It was not so much the inept police, who actually suspected the family of a hoax, but the animalistic drive for vengeance that propels the family to track down the perps and deliver an "eye for an eye" type of vengeance.
While there are many family hostage dramas, "Family Vanished" offered a fresh perspective in depicting the bloodlust that spontaneously emerges from nondescript people. In so doing, the film explores an important question about human nature and the possibility that the beast is always lurking within.
The filmmakers offer insights into the nature of aggression as Brian and Lisa, along with their daughter April, are traumatized by the three intruders, who are also a married couple with a daughter.
The scenes are unpleasant and graphic as the captors taunt the family members and are able to walk away with $375,000 in cash. It is only due to the heroic efforts of the neighbor Peter, with whom Lisa had a one-nighter three years ago, that the family is not killed.
The most interesting part of the film was the final fifteen minutes in which Brian, Lisa, and April make a 180-degree turn towards revenge. It was not so much the inept police, who actually suspected the family of a hoax, but the animalistic drive for vengeance that propels the family to track down the perps and deliver an "eye for an eye" type of vengeance.
While there are many family hostage dramas, "Family Vanished" offered a fresh perspective in depicting the bloodlust that spontaneously emerges from nondescript people. In so doing, the film explores an important question about human nature and the possibility that the beast is always lurking within.
A bit different - and feel good
phd_travel4 September 2018
Warning: Spoilers
A few things set this apart from the usual LMN thriller. The wackos are a family father mother daughter who invade the home of a family and take them hostage for money. So the dynamic is interesting. However things get a bit repetitive with failed escape followed by pleas and the another failed escape. But wait there is a bit of a feel good difference as the wackos get their comeupance. It's satisfying in a vigilante way for anyone who has been the victim of a crime.
OK for 1 watch.
OK for 1 watch.
This is so Bad.
kerrincahill-197-7658822 January 2021
on and on and on and on.....ad nauseum
hoops-5343616 August 2021
We paused the movie after the escape and thought "there must only be a couple minutes left." Wrong- 48 freakin minutes. C'MON! This movie drug to the point we wished we were drugged.
And then the cops immediately think it was all made up. At least that follows the LMN mantra that cops are worthless.
We watched to the bitter end.
Stay away from this screwed up movie.
And then the cops immediately think it was all made up. At least that follows the LMN mantra that cops are worthless.
We watched to the bitter end.
Stay away from this screwed up movie.
Hilarious
alishaebrahimnegad28 December 2018
Aw come on. Why such bad reviews? It's lifetime. I thought this one was pretty hilarious. A nice watch if you have nothing to do or you're folding laundry or whatever. Of course it was not the best I mean we all know this is low budget, why expect so much?
I think the straight laced dad was a hottie. Love how this movie had a good twist at the end. It was funny, I didn't see that coming at all. I got a few good laughs out of this one.
I think the straight laced dad was a hottie. Love how this movie had a good twist at the end. It was funny, I didn't see that coming at all. I got a few good laughs out of this one.
Pretty good actually
haroot_azarian22 March 2020
Enjoyable
tntbandit23 February 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Look, it's a freakin Lifetime movie! And it was Good! A bad family mirrors a genuinely good one and they were able to get revenge. As a lover of Lifetime ridiculousness, this was definitely a good one to watch. Though I wouldn't have minded if Brian shot Mike in the knee, and would've loved to see the family be able to gloat a bit more, it was all around cute. Albeit the most unbelievable part was neighbor Peter going after them with ZERO protection, but it's a Lifetime film, no need to take it so serious, just enjoy! I did!
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