[yasr_overall_rating]
A mother stops at nothing to recover her kidnapped son.
I wasn’t expecting much from the film “Kidnap,” especially with that tagline “They messed with the wrong mother.” Not only that but between the tagline and the title of the film, the plot is a dead giveaway: kid gets snatched and mom goes into supermom mode and gets kid back. That is the actual plot, but the film is so much better than I could have imagined. From the simple and understated abilities of Halle Berry (starring as the mom, Karla Dyson) to the nearly real-time narrative and so much more, this film completely took me by surprise.
Karla is a very real, everyday mom who works as a waitress and is in the middle of a custody dispute with her ex. She takes her son, Frankie (Sage Correa), to the park, gets distracted by a phone call and you know exactly the moment of vulnerability when he is taken. But the way it happens, it’s so normal, it’s terrifying.
Every mom has felt that split second fear when she suddenly realizes how easily her child can escape her watchful eye…whether the child wanders off out of curiosity or something more dreaded happens. In this story, Frankie likes to hide and for a moment, Karla doesn’t know if she should panic or just tell herself that he is playing another one of his hiding games. Fortunately, or unfortunately, she happens to see the kidnappers shoving Frankie into a car and she goes crazy, running and screaming after the car.
There were several directing choices that made this film so believable, yet heroic.
First, the casting is ultra simple with the primary characters of the whole movie being Karla and the two kidnappers. Even the son is seldom seen after the kidnapping takes place.
Second, the perspective of the storytelling is entirely from Karla’s point of view. There are no cuts to police characters or the witnesses in the park or any other character development except those that intersect with the timeline of telling Karla’s perspective.
And third, the stunts aren’t crazy or exaggerated beyond normal suspension of disbelief. You won’t see cars exploding with everyone miraculously staying clear of the blast and you won’t see Karla suddenly executing the fighting skills of a ninja. Even as she fiercely drives her minivan on the interstate in pursuit of the kidnapper’s car, she realistically expresses her own terror at what she is doing and the danger of her driving for other drivers on the road. The audience will feel her horror and conflict of guilt when an SUV rolls multiple times and again when a pedestrian is violently struck and almost killed…all as a result of the car chase. The kidnappers obviously only care about preserving themselves, but Karla is torn between the harm that is coming to those around them and the harm that could happen to her son if she gives up.
Not only are the stunts believable, but all the normal problems occur as well. She drops her phone in the parking lot when she’s desperately trying to stop the kidnapping and she can’t contact the police. When she does manage to get police attention, the kidnappers change vehicles. And the needle on the gas gauge eventually hits empty. In the end, Karla has to find her son on her own and with all the bravery she can muster.
There are so many other details worth noting, but I don’t want to give too much of the movie away. Suffice it to say, this is not a stereotypical superhero story…although we spontaneously cheered and clapped for Karla. And this is not your usual thriller…even though we gasped and even cried out in horror. There is no sinister twist in the plot with the divorce custody nor a specific reason behind the kidnapping. It’s just the simple worries of a regular mom turned into an actual living nightmare…and she faces the challenge with all the mama bear fear and fury you can imagine.
Also, it’s worth mentioning that if you are a mom and you happen to drive a minivan, this story will make you feel like a rockstar.
In theaters Friday, August 4th
