Kaley Cuoco’s ‘Vanished’ unravels a mystery but lacks spark and suspense

by

Kaley Cuoco stars as Alice, an archaeologist, in the new series “Vanished,” which premieres Friday on MGM+. She often points out her profession, though it doesn’t immediately feel central to her character, with brief references to her work with caves and early Christian sites. Sam Claflin plays Tom, who works with Syrian refugees in Jordan. The series shows how Alice and Tom first met – he had a flat tire while traveling in Jordan, and she gave him a ride. They shared a playful connection, with some flirting and a moment where he showed his bravery.

I’ve been following Alice and Tom’s story, and it’s really sweet. They’ve been doing long distance for four years, flying all over the world just to spend time together – she’s said they’re always wanting to be close! Right now, they’re even in Paris, staying in a pretty fancy hotel. But Alice has this amazing job offer at Princeton, which would finally let them settle down together in a place of their own and, as she put it, build a life that’s truly hers. There was a bit of hesitation, but Tom finally said he loves her, calling her ‘Alice Monroe,’ and seemed really on board with the idea.

It’s hard to believe the characters are in love. Despite what the story tries to tell us, Kaley Cuoco and Sam Claflin don’t have much on-screen chemistry – they feel as disconnected as models in a catalog. Luckily, Tom quickly disappears, which explains the film’s title, “Vanished.” While traveling by train to Arles and their next hotel, Tom steps away to take a phone call and never comes back; a search of the train reveals no sign of him.

The story happily introduces Helene (Karin Viard, a celebrated actress), a kind Frenchwoman who offers to translate when Alice tries to convince a strict conductor to unlock a staff-only door. He’s insistent on following the rules, which makes Alice wonder if he’s simply being difficult or if there’s something else going on.

Alice and Helene reconnect when Alice arrives by train in Marseilles, not Arles. Frustrated by the lack of help from police inspector Drax – who won’t act until 48 hours have passed – and the train conductor, Alice turns to Helene again, benefiting from Helene’s skills as an investigative reporter. (Helene’s newly developed diabetes briefly interrupts the investigation with dramatic insulin shots, a detail that doesn’t really impact the plot.) Together, they’ll uncover and pursue leads. As they do, Alice learns that truly knowing someone takes more than a quick romantic escape, and Helene gets closer to breaking a major story. Like Drax’s excuse of being late for a movie with his wife, these details feel added to simply flesh out the characters.

The series is directed by Barnaby Thompson, known primarily as a producer of films like “Wayne’s World” and “Spice World,” and co-written with his son, Preston – the duo previously collaborated on the 2020 film “Pixie.” The story immediately jumps into action with a scene of Alice escaping through a window, hinting at the thrills to come. While the series delivers on action, the climax unexpectedly elicited laughter, highlighting a common trope in modern films. Many of the ideas and plot elements echo those found in Alfred Hitchcock’s work – notably “The Lady Vanishes” which also involved a disappearance on a train – but they’ve been updated for a contemporary audience. However, unlike Hitchcock, who quickly revealed a character’s true nature, this series keeps that information hidden until almost the very end, adding further twists to maintain suspense.

Kaley Cuoco, who usually has blonde hair but appears as a brunette here, has proven her talent in roles like Penny on “The Big Bang Theory” and as the lead in “The Flight Attendant.” However, she seems miscast in this particular project. The direction and writing aren’t strong enough to showcase her abilities, and she feels like she’s acting a role instead of embodying a character. The French actors, possibly due to their accents, feel more authentic, and the scenery in France, as always, is beautiful.

Read More

2026-01-30 11:31