Written and directed by Carissa Stutzman, Lifetime’s ‘Vanished Out of Sight’ is a crime drama movie that revolves around a blind woman named Claire Lewis who is extremely protective of her six-year-old daughter, Briar, for obvious reasons. Unfortunately, despite her cautiousness, the latter vanishes into thin air on Christmas Day. Scared of her worst nightmares coming to life, Claire embarks on a mission to locate her beloved daughter by hook or crook.
Although the blind mother moves heaven and earth during the search for Briar, she is unable to succeed and is concerned about her well-being. When even the police cannot find any clue regarding her whereabouts, she turns to her daughter’s boyfriend, Beck, and asks for his help. However, when he becomes one of the prime suspects in the case, she takes matters into her own hands and goes looking for Briar. Alternately titled ‘Blind River,’ the film has several realistic moments, which are made all the more authentic through the use of ideal filming locations.
Vanished Out of Sight Filming Locations
‘Vanished Out of Sight’ was shot in its entirety in Indiana, especially across Mentone. From what we can tell, the principal photography got underway in March 2022 under the working title ‘Now I See’ and continued for a few weeks before getting wrapped up in April of the same year. About a month after the production began, the associate producer Kathleen Herrgott reflected back on the experiences she had on set. She said, “A month ago, I participated in one of the most amazing experiences of my life! Being an associate producer on the movie set “Now I See”. Thanks to @jdstutz and @carissastutzman for thinking of me and knowing that I would be a good fit for the team! I met incredible people and I’m so proud to call some of them friends, today! ”
Mentone, Indiana
Almost all the pivotal sequences for ‘Vanished Out of Sight’ were lensed in and around the town of Mentone, situated in Indiana’s Kosciusko County. Known as the “Egg Basket of the Midwest” due to prolific commercial egg production in the area, the town was turned into a film set as the production team redecorated various streets and neighborhoods accordingly. In order to add a layer of Midwestern authenticity to the narrative, the filming unit set up camp in Mentone.
The 10-foot-tall concrete egg celebrating Mentone’s egg production also seemingly features in the backdrop of a few key portions. Moreover, an isolated property in the town served as the primary filming site as various indoor and outdoor scenes were shot in and around it. Thanks to its secluded location, it makes for an ideal production location for a film like ‘Vanished Out of Sight.’
Vanished Out of Sight is a Fictional Story Seemingly Inspired by Several True Events
Instances of kidnapping and abduction of young girls are unfortunately quite common in various parts of the country. Thus, when a movie like ‘Vanished Out of Sight’ touches upon those themes and elements, the audience is bound to hover around the idea of it being based on real-life events. In early 2024, the body of a 13-year-old girl named Madeline Soto was found in a wooded area, something that Claire dreads might happen to her missing daughter. Similar to the narrative, Madeline’s mother’s boyfriend, Stephan Sterns, was suspected of murdering her and moving her body from the crime scene.
Since the victim was last seen with Stephan near Hunter’s Creek Middle School in Orlando, he was suspected to have been involved in the killing. In ‘Vanished Out of Sight,’ Beck is suspected of kidnapping and potentially murdering Briar. Given there are so many such real-life cases, the Lifetime production appears to be inspired by reality on some level. However, the truth is that without official confirmation, we have to assume that Carissa Stutzman crafted a fictional story using her creative mind and experiences. Thus, the narrative of the crime drama cannot be considered a movie based on a true story.
Vanished Out of Sight Cast
In ‘Vanished Out of Sight,’ Annalise Basso steps into the role of Claire Moyer, a mother who moves heaven and earth to look for her missing child. The actress is best known for her work as Lina Zander in ‘Ouija: Origin of Evil,’ LJ Folger/Lilah Anderson Junior in ‘Snowpiercer,’ Vespyr in ‘Captain Fantastic,’ Isla in ‘Cold,’ and Tricia Sparks in ‘Bedtime Stories.’ Steven Ogg essays the character of Walker Donley. You may recognize him from his compelling performance in ‘The Walking Dead’ as Simon, ‘He Never Died’ as Alex, ‘Emancipation’ as Howard, and ‘The Tick’ as Flexon. Just like Annalise, Steven can also be seen in ‘Snowpiercer’ as Pike.
Appearing as Hooper Miller in the film is Jay Huguley, who is renowned for his portrayal of Whit Peyton in ‘Brothers & Sisters,’ David in ‘The Walking Dead,’ Will Branson in ‘Treme’ and JSOC Commander Dixon in ‘Lioness.’ In addition, Tracy Campbell stars as Beck Harris, while Avalon Reign as Claire’s daughter, Briar Moyer. The film also features Denise Smolarek as Reece Miller, while Wynn Reichert and Leajato Amara Robinson don the garb of Abel Wood and Elijah Harris, respectively. Deborah Tucker portrays the character of Kim Baker in the Carissa Stutzman film.
The extensive supporting case comprises Brandon Lee Benton as Officer Craig Davis, Gerald Cox as Ora Forner, Kevin Funk as Stan Baker, and Nora Prater as Joyce Baker. The Lifetime movie also stars Michael Heady, Oliver Pettit, Terry Vanlaningham, Stan Bialczak, Dan Lee, Cody Lein, Randy Stutzman, Kaitlin Langford, Hayly Oldfather, Alex Thacker, Maria Paterson, Allison Bown, Melanie Vanlaningham, Jason Bolt and Beth Oldfather. Travis Marsh, John Moore, Jeff Clark, Nash Keirn, Jalen Shepherd, Justin Smith, Shane Bucher, and Drew Brewton play the role of Sheriff Deputy.
Read More: The Last Thing She Said: Is the Lifetime Movie Based on a True Story?