The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel Review

Do you want a real-life documentary to watch over spring break? Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel was one of my favorite documentaries that aired on Netflix this winter season. It tells the story of Elisa Lam and her mysterious disappearance while staying at the Cecil Hotel. The documentary closely examines the evidence of the case, such as security footage, autopsy reports, and previous social media posts. 

The disappearance of Elisa Lam began to circulate around social media and became a fixation for many online users. Elisa Lam was a 21-year-old Canadian student who disappeared at the Stay on Main; a hostel combined with the Cecil Hotel, on January 21, 2013. The Cecil Hotel is located in downtown Los Angeles, just minutes from the infamous Skid Row, and is notorious for several murders and other criminal activities occurring on its premises. 

The documentary starts off by analyzing her Tumblr posts to study her behavior or to see any possible evidence of an illness or disorder. Furthermore, after arriving at the Cecil Hotel, Elisa Lam was seen in an elevator making odd hand movements. This security footage began to spread around the internet and now has well over 50 million views on various social media platforms. 

Many may say the viral aspect of the video was fascinating, however, it was also seen as invasive since many YouTubers began to investigate and establish their own theories on what really happened. This documentary series falls under the classification of many other crime-related documentaries: sensationalized tragedies. For example, the addition of YouTubers and horror-related music was included to entertain the audience; however, the focus should have been upon Elisa Lam and bringing awareness towards her case and mental health issues as a whole. 

Each episode of the series features a new piece of evidence to be discovered. For example, in the first couple of episodes, a minor detail was found in the security footage of the elevator scene, and it was mentioned how the timestamp looked very damaged and misplaced. While watching this close analysis, you can’t help but wonder: Why? When? What? Some began speculating why the elevator doors were not closing, who Elisa was seen talking to, or if there was a visible foot near the elevator door. Such mysteries allowed the audience to interpret what had actually occurred. Moreover, as the hotel is located in an area with a strong history of violence, it can be understood that she probably ran into someone she shouldn’t have at night, however, no one will ever be able to tell. 

After Joe Berlinger, the director of the series, and his team unpacked all the evidence – the autopsy, the security footage, and the interviews with the hotel employees – they marked the case as a suicide. Some may wonder why Elisa entered the water tank nude, however, it was concluded her medical history may have contributed to the tragedy. Although the series was sensationalized, there was something about it that captivated me and allowed me to feel sympathy for Elisa Lam and all that she had gone through.