Brad Anderson, who's best known for his work directing The Machinist, brings you a truly terrifying story in the 2010 flick Vanishing on 7th Street.

The film's plot revolves around Luke, Paul, Rosemary and James, four strangers who have miraculously managed to survive a mass blackout wherein anyone not holding a source of light vanished into thin air. The city of Detroit is virtually emptied of citizens and the few that survive are being hunted by the darkness. Luke, while on the hunt for batteries to keep his flashlight powered, finds a bar that is still lit thanks to an emergency generator, and within it he finds young James who is naively waiting for his mother to return. They are soon joined by Rosemary, a nurse whose infant daughter has vanished, and Paul, an injured but stable survivor. Together the group pieces together the inescapable fact the darkness is hunting them and if they are not holding a light source in their own hands they will be taken, sending them on a life or death search for batteries, candles, and any other lights they can find.

Hayden Christiansen takes the lead as Luke, the film's hero, a far cry from his villainous turn as Darth Vader in the Star Wars prequels. Christiansen plays it cool for the majority of the film, going overboard with his performance merely a few times. Thandie Newton does a fantastic job playing Rosemary; she fully emotes the pain of a mother who's lost her child. Newcomer Jacob Latimore plays young James and gives a strong performance, particularly considering his lack of experience. Playing a small but highly entertaining role is John Leguizamo who some will remember from his days back on Miami Vice. Leguizamo is as captivating and interesting to watch as ever, stealing each and every scene he appears in.

The mystery surrounding what the darkness is and what it is after makes the film veritably frightening. Hopelessness and despair from the characters heighten the spine-chilling inevitability of the darkness consuming all.

The film is very dark visually, with under-lit scenes and dark wardrobes on the characters. Along with the visual darkness the editing in the film is done so that triumphant moments linger for only a moment on screen while the disheartening ones seem endless. All of these factors combined make for a thriller in every sense of the word. Each turn the film takes offers something new to fear, and with a lack of jumpy scares, the building tension and suspense within the film will have you on edge for the duration.

The DVD is scarcely populated with extras, however it does offer optional language tracks including Spanish.

More in the style of Silence of the Lambs than Friday the 13th, this flick is great if you're looking for a smarter scary film, and although it lacks a satisfying conclusion, the viewing experience is thoroughly enjoyable.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars