A sense of dread permeates every frame of Disappearance at Clifton Hill, a noir type tale that evokes an hypnotic mood from start to finish. Now, this isn’t your traditional film noir, trafficking in cliches and men gritting their teeth. No, this has a female centric true north, making the investigator/protagonist a woman, and it pays dividends. Whenever you can upend a genre, even in a small way, it matters. Plus, when you have a high quality lead performance to latch on to, that helps as well. Hitting theaters this weekend, the movie is an independent effort that has large ambitions. To its credit, they mostly pay off. The film is a mystery/thriller, though largely content to be a character based drama with ominous moments. After an intense prologue, we move to the present day. Returning to her Niagara Falls hometown after the death of her mother, Abby (Tuppence Middleton) arrives to town stuck in, and ignoring, the past. In short order, she becomes obsessed with a memory she has from her childhood, the same moment we see at the outset. She believes she witnessed a kidnapping, one that’s become notorious in the town, even inspiring a podcast hosted by a unique figure in Walter (David Cronenberg). Coming home also reunites Abby with Laure (Hannah Gross), her estranged younger sister. They have a number of issues to deal with, though Abby’s state of mind does that no favors. As they attempt to amicably settle their late mother’s estate, and in particular the sale of the family motel, which Abby wants to save, things weigh heavily on her. As she tries to figure out exactly what happened in her past, she winds up stumbling on to something potentially much larger and more dangerous. Albert Shin co-writes with James Schultz and directs. Supporting cast members include Marie-Josée Croze, Eric Johnson, David Lett, Andy McQueen, Aaron Pooel, Mikayla Radan, Noah Reid, and more. Alex Sowinski and Leland Whitty compose the score, while Catherine Lutes handles the cinematography. What sets this flick apart is how quietly menacing it all feels. Between the mood that Albert Shin establishes and the quietly haunting performance by Tuppence Middleton, whether the central mystery engages you or not is almost secondary. The environment is ominous and secretive. However, it may just be the desperate nature of a struggling community. Shin leans into that quite well, while Middleton is intensely […]