[Screenwriter Todd Graff] duplicates many of the original scenes (particularly the significant gas station ones), but does so mechanically. He jettisons most of the subtleties that made the first film so memorable.
– Desson Thomson,
Washington Post,
1 Jan 2000
rotten:
Too much of what is good about the original The Vanishing has been eviscerated. If you want quality, see the Dutch version; this one is a pale imitation.
– James Berardinelli,
ReelViews,
1 Jan 2000
rotten:
The first movie was existential in its merciless unfolding. This one turns into a slasher movie with a cheap joke at the end.