Review of The Disappearance of Alice Creed (2009) by Robert D — 20 Oct 2010

Hot-shot revenge flick that pulls out most its stops. "The Disappearance of Alice Creed" isn't a torturous and depraved film, yet writer-director J Blakeson doesn't go so far as to establish a playing field before the game is to take place. The emotional discharge feels well-earned because of this, that we aren't sure who these two men who kidnap Alice for ransom actually are, that it feels pretty authentic.

The times when it is psychopathic are usually when Alice is shown beaten and/or gagged, and Blakeson's direction seems to imply these scenes were meant as set pieces aimed to drive the movie forward. Still, "The Disappearance of Alice Creed" is a fool-proof plan mistakenly destroyed by those on the inside; a thrill to watch while its grim tone takes hold of you, offering its destruction as an unwanted prize which draws the not-so-innocent Alice into the same murderous triangle as her captors.