Secuestrados aka Kidnapped movie review (2011)

Secuestrados

a.k.a.

Kidnapped (2011)

Brief review: Spaniards are great at making horror films, and "Secuestrados" is another proof for that. Although it's often predictable and not at all original, "Kidnapped" manages to shock the viewer with its harshness, graphic violence and utter brutality, thanks to the solid script and Miguel Ángel Vivas' stark and uncompromising direction that leaves very little to imagination. The acting is definitely the highlight of the movie. Fernando Cayo, Ana Wagener and Manuela Vellés all give an extremely believable performances as the abducted family, and make you feel connected with their characters. The ravishers also deliver. Dritan Biba does a fantastic job as the cruel leader, Guillermo Barrientos is the 'good guy', and Martijn Kuiper is definitely the most disturbing and intimidating of all the three. As most 'home invasion' films, "Kidnapped" is set mainly indoors, and although the house setting is beautiful, luxurious and modern, it gets a bit monotonous and uninteresting after a while. However, considering the low budget of the movie, the production designer has done a great job in creating a family-friendly environment that later on somewhat 'transforms' into a grim and gloomy setting, due to the all tragic circumstances. And that's a hard thing to achieve.

Overall summary: It's no "Mother's Day", but "Secuestrados" is still a brutal, terrifyingly realistic, and shockingly violent horror thriller that may leave you speechless as the credits roll, and also one of the better and most memorable 'home invasion' flicks released over the past decade.