Giovanni (Ismael La Rosa) travels to the city of Iquitos in search of his girlfriend Milena (Virna Flores), an environmentalist who's gone missing. The trail leads him to a secluded village on the banks of the Amazon river struck by a rash of mysterious disappearances that the locals blame on the Yakurunas, a mythical race of "fish-men".
At first glance, this is a lot like one of those "backwoods" survival thrillers a la Deliverance, where the city folk travel to a remote location and are preyed upon by the locals, only not as violent or mean-spirited. Fernández-Moris certainly milks the jungle setting for all its worth, creating an ominous atmosphere where no one can be trusted. It's a great, exotic locale, a character unto itself, but the thrills are sometimes stopped cold by a script that tends to over-explain things rather than show them; the audience will have probably figured out the mystery long before the characters do.
Said mystery also covers other intentions; Desaparecer has things to say about preserving the environment and looking after natural resources, a problem in the Amazon few are familiar with. Thankfully, it doesn't beat you over the head with its environmentalist agenda. Its point is driven home by a climax that's atypical for a Peruvian movie and really takes chances (and spares us the sight of guys in rubber suits).
The movie has flaws on a scripting level - the dialogue at times sounds stilted and theatrical, making a capable cast look bad (simply put, real people don't talk like this) - but there's nothing to complain about on the technical side of things. The photography and production design are solid, and a lot of care has gone into making the movie look good; aerial drone cameras are given quite a workout here. In fact, the film is capably setting a technical standard which all local filmmakers should follow.
Thrillers are rare in Peruvian cinema; this one doesn't always succeed at building tension, but it's a respectable effort from a director who could do wonders with a more solid script.
Desaparecer is currently playing in Peruvian theatres.