Review of Kidnapped (2010) by Andrew D — 02 Jan 2012

I was really looking forward to this but it's just a cliched, tedious, pointless home invasion thriller, nothing like the advertising would have you believe. Like Hostel, the disturbing images from the posters are not in the film.

If you've seen Panic Room or Hostage, you've seen it done better. It starts off strongly with a beautifully shot opening that has nothing to do with the rest of the film. The cinematography is the film's strongest point, but the script will have you yelling at the characters, and the direction is overdone.

There are several split screen scenes, one of which is taken directly from The Rules of Attraction. The acting by the teenage girl is grating to say the least. It does deserve credit for a few subversions such as unmasking the criminals and the downer ending.