‘Vanished Into The Night’ Movie Cast And Character Guide

Vanished Into the Night is the latest Italian thriller released on Netflix. When you hear the title, you might wonder: Who disappeared into the night? It is Bianca and Giovanni, the children of Pietro and Elena. Have they found their children? And who are the suspects? We’ll discover the answers to these questions in the cast and character guide to Vanished Into the Night movie.

Spoilers Ahead

Pietro 

Pietro started out as a loving and devoted husband. He was deeply invested in his family and was willing to make significant sacrifices for Elena and their children. However, his dream of renovating his old property into a bed and breakfast led to financial troubles. This ambition, combined with his gambling, put a strain on their marriage. Riccardo Scamarcio played the role of the father to Giovanni and Bianca and the husband to Elena. His character, Pietro, had a rough past working for Nico, a dangerous figure. But after getting married and becoming a father, Pietro made a big change in his life. He left behind his old ways to protect his family from the dangers of his past. Pietro’s transformation showed how much he cared about his wife and kids. 

Pietro’s character portrayed a strong sense of responsibility and love for his family above all else. Despite all his flaws, Pietro didn’t want to abandon his family and consistently showed a desire to fix things between him and Elena, even when she was determined to leave him. Pietro was a deeply caring and protective father. He loved Giovanni and Bianca unconditionally and was always ready to put their needs above his own. When his children were kidnapped, Pietro didn’t hesitate to take extreme risks to ensure their safety. He smuggled drugs for Nico just to get the ransom money to take them back from the kidnapper, which shows his willingness to sacrifice his safety for his kids. Even after discovering Elena’s betrayal, Pietro chooses to protect his children from the harsh truth about their mother. He didn’t let the children know what their mother had done to them which explains how much he cared for them. It might also suggest that he wanted to give Elena a second chance to come back home so that they could make things right.

Elena 

Annabelle Wallis, who is famously known for her performances in Netflix series “Peaky Blinders” and movies like “Annabelle,” portrays the character of Elena in Vanished Into the Night. Her portrayal of Elena felt very intriguing and complex. Elena was initially a supportive and loving wife. However, her struggles with depression and her failure to continue her career as a psychotherapist in Italy put immense pressure on her. Her resentment towards Pietro grew as their financial situation deteriorated, largely due to his failed bed and breakfast project and his gambling. Despite Pietro’s efforts to mend their relationship, Elena’s desire to return to America and reclaim her life led her to manipulate and betray Pietro in a desperate manner to gain full custody of the children. Elena’s love for her children was clear, and to be honest, her intentions were not completely evil. She just wanted to keep the kids to herself, but her actions were driven by a selfish desire to take them away from Pietro, which was really brutal. 

To achieve what she wanted, Elena went to extreme lengths, which included injecting drugs into her own children so that she could frame her husband as a crazy and careless father. While Elena believed she was acting in her children’s best interests, her methods were dangerous and reckless, which just shows a lack of regard for their safety and emotional stability. You know, considering Elena’s character, I wouldn’t be surprised if she tried to get Giovanni and Bianca back in the future. She’s always been determined and knows how to manipulate situations to get what she wants. Even though Pietro is doing everything to protect the kids and keep them from knowing the truth about their mom’s actions, Elena’s strong desire to have them all to herself might push her to go to court or maybe even do something drastic.

Nico 

Massimiliano Gallo portrays Nico, the dangerous and wealthy drug lord, in the movie. Nico’s character is complex—he’s someone who commands fear and respect in equal measure. In the past, Pietro was one of Nico’s best workers and used to smuggle drugs for him. But after Pietro got married and became a father, he left that life behind, which deeply angered Nico. Despite this, Nico had a strange affection for Pietro’s kids, although Pietro always feared for their safety around him. When Pietro’s children were kidnapped, Nico saw an opportunity to manipulate the situation to his advantage. He forced Pietro into a risky job smuggling ten kilograms of cocaine from Greece as a way to demonstrate his control over Pietro and punish him for leaving him. Even when Pietro successfully completed the dangerous task, Nico didn’t show gratitude; instead, he demanded Pietro continue working for him. I think this came from Nico’s pride and jealousy—he couldn’t bear the thought of Pietro thinking he was better than him or above the criminal life. But you know what? Nico did have a softer side, especially when it came to Pietro’s children. He eventually helped Pietro with the ransom money, partly out of old loyalty and partly out of genuine care for the kids. This just makes him a compelling antagonist in the story. His actions reveal a man torn between loyalty, ego, and a strange sense of paternal protectiveness towards Pietro’s family.

Santo

Santo turned out to be a businessman with flaws but not a villain. He had his eyes set on buying Pietro’s farmhouse property, no matter what. His character was all about chasing wealth and influence, which sometimes made him seem cold and calculating. When Pietro faced financial troubles, Santo didn’t approach him with friendly intentions—it was because Pietro hadn’t repaid the money he borrowed to renovate the property for a bed and breakfast. This situation naturally made Santo a suspect when Pietro’s children were kidnapped. People thought maybe Santo took the kids to pressure Pietro into paying his debt. But Santo, despite his ruthless business side, wasn’t someone who would harm children. He had boundaries, and hurting innocent kids wasn’t his style. When Pietro managed to collect the ransom money with Nico’s help, he was determined to use it to repay his debt to Santo.