The Vanishing World

The Vanishing World

Year: 1987

Runtime: 100 mins

Language: Serbo-Croatian

Director: Petar Lalović

Documentary

Being the thirteenth piglet means rejection: a sow with twelve teats cannot nurse the extra newborn, called Gile Baksuz, and most such piglets die. The film portrays this harsh natural reality as a tender love story, when the abandoned piglet finds refuge with a roe deer and her fawn, who care for him.

Dark
Bleak ending
Emotionally heavy
High intensity
Steady pacing
Moderate complexity

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline & Setting – The Vanishing World (1987)

Explore the full timeline and setting of The Vanishing World (1987). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Location

France, Nîmes, rest area, Raymond's country home

The story unfolds largely across rural France, anchored by a rest area near Nîmes and the secluded country home of the kidnapper. The cafe opposite the killer's apartment and the various domestic locations emphasize the contrast between ordinary life and the crime at the center of the plot. The settings function as a moving stage for pursuit, confinement, and the slow unravelling of the mystery.

🇫🇷 France 🚗 Road trip 🏞️ Countryside

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 13:27

Main Characters – The Vanishing World (1987)

Meet the key characters of The Vanishing World (1987), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Rex

A Dutch man whose life narrows to finding Saskia after her disappearance. He is passionately devoted, stubborn, and willing to push boundaries in his quest for the truth. His obsession strains his relationship with Lieneke and blurs the line between reality and dream.

🔎 Obsession 💗 Romance 🗺️ Search

Saskia

The missing Dutch woman whose disappearance sets the investigation in motion. Her recurring dream of floating in space hints at a desire for escape and meaning beyond her ordinary life. Her absence acts as a catalyst that exposes Rex's vulnerabilities and Raymond's intrusion into their lives.

🪐 Dream 💔 Absence 🕊️ Hope

Raymond

A wealthy man whose apparent charm masks a calculated, conscience-free mind. He abducts women, rehearses his methods, and justifies his actions with a bleak philosophy about proving one's morality through evil. His chilling poise contrasts with Rex's fervent desperation.

🧠 Psychopathy 🧪 Experimentation 🕵️‍♂️ Crime

Lieneke

Rex's new girlfriend who reluctantly helps search for Saskia. She becomes entangled in the case and ultimately chooses to leave Rex when his obsession consumes him. She represents a rational, relational counterpoint to Rex's paranoia.

💬 Support 💔 Breakup 🧭 Dilemma

Narrator

The unnamed voice guiding the story, a presence that frames events and poses the moral questions surrounding the characters. The narration adds distance to the unfolding drama while steering the viewer through the mystery.

🗣️ Narration 🎬 Perspective 🧭 Mystery

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 13:27

Major Themes – The Vanishing World (1987)

Explore the central themes of The Vanishing World (1987), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🔎 Obsession

Rex's fixation on Saskia's disappearance drives the narrative, eroding other relationships and redefining his sense of reality. The constant public appeals and cryptic postcards heighten the tension as he chases a truth that feels just out of reach. The dream sequences echo the real-world obsession, blurring lines between memory and fantasy. The eventual reveal turns obsession into a form of captivity, culminating in Rex's entrapment.

🧭 Truth vs. Conscience

Raymond articulates a theory that one must commit evil to prove one's goodness, testing the boundaries of morality. The film probes whether true virtue requires restraint or rejection of temptation. His chilling rationale contrasts with Rex's desperate pursuit of Saskia, highlighting different moral compasses. The story questions whether justice can be achieved within a mind hardened by cynicism.

🌙 Dreams and Reality

Dream imagery—Saskia drifting in a golden egg, Rex sharing a similar dream—frames the film's metaphysical questions about fate and freedom. The eggs symbolize confinement, transformation, and the fragile boundary between waking life and dreaming. The dreams intensify the emotional stakes and foreshadow the film's twists. The narrative uses sleep as a doorway to deeper truths about longing and loss.

🥚 Symbolism and Vanishing

Egg motifs recur as a sign of birth, protection, and disappearance, echoing both lovers' bond and their sudden vanishing. The final newspaper with two egg-shaped ovals cements the theme of twins of fate: Saskia and Rex as two halves of a mystery. The film coats mundane locations with symbolic meaning, turning ordinary objects into portents. The vanishing acts reveal how memory can crystallize around simple symbols.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 13:27

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Explore Movie Threads

Discover curated groups of movies connected by mood, themes, and story style. Browse collections built around emotion, atmosphere, and narrative focus to easily find films that match what you feel like watching right now.

Slow burn psychological thrillers like The Vanishing World

Unsettling stories where a methodical pace builds to an inevitable, bleak conclusion.If you liked the methodical tension and psychological dread of The Vanishing World, explore movies with a similar slow burn pace. These films build suspense steadily, often dealing with obsession and bleak outcomes, creating a deeply unsettling viewing experience for fans of heavy, dark thrillers.

suspensefulhauntingunsettlingpsychologicalobsessiveanxiousbleakclaustrophobic

Narrative Summary

Narratives in this thread often follow a linear but deliberate path, starting from a point of normalcy that is gradually eroded by an encroaching threat or a character's obsession. The story unfolds with a sense of inevitable tragedy, focusing on the psychological unraveling of characters as they are drawn towards a grim and inescapable fate.

Why These Movies?

These movies are grouped by their shared commitment to a measured, steady pacing that intensifies suspense, a consistently dark tone exploring the depths of human psychology, and a high emotional weight that culminates in a bleak resolution, creating a cohesive experience of escalating dread.

Philosophical crime dramas about evil like The Vanishing World

Stories that delve into the nature of evil, loss, and existential dread through crime.For viewers who appreciated the philosophical depth and exploration of evil in The Vanishing World, this collection highlights similar movies. These crime-driven stories focus on psychological manipulation, existential themes, and the heavy emotional weight of loss, perfect for those seeking thought-provoking and dark narratives.

philosophicalunsettlinghauntingexistentialobsessivehopelesssuspensefulanxious

Narrative Summary

The narrative pattern often involves a central, traumatic event—like an abduction or betrayal—that propels the story. This event serves as a catalyst for a deeper inquiry into morality and the human capacity for evil, frequently presented through dual perspectives or a character's obsessive search for answers that leads only to darker truths.

Why These Movies?

These films are united by their primary focus on philosophical themes surrounding evil and existentialism, wrapped within a dark, suspenseful narrative. They share a high emotional weight stemming from themes of loss and betrayal, and a moderate complexity that allows for psychological depth without overwhelming the core tension.

Unlock the Full Story of The Vanishing World

Don't stop at just watching — explore The Vanishing World in full detail. From the complete plot summary and scene-by-scene timeline to character breakdowns, thematic analysis, and a deep dive into the ending — every page helps you truly understand what The Vanishing World is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.

The Vanishing World Summary

Read a complete plot summary of The Vanishing World, including all key story points, character arcs, and turning points. This in-depth recap is ideal for understanding the narrative structure or reviewing what happened in the movie.

The Vanishing World Summary

The Vanishing World Timeline

Track the full timeline of The Vanishing World with every major event arranged chronologically. Perfect for decoding non-linear storytelling, flashbacks, or parallel narratives with a clear scene-by-scene breakdown.

The Vanishing World Timeline

More About The Vanishing World

Visit What's After the Movie to explore more about The Vanishing World: box office results, cast and crew info, production details, post-credit scenes, and external links — all in one place for movie fans and researchers.

More About The Vanishing World

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The Vanishing World (1987) Plot Summary & Movie Recap

The Vanishing World (1987) Scene-by-Scene Movie Timeline

The Vanishing World (1987) Spoiler-Free Summary & Key Flow