If you pay attention to your recommendations or what’s trending on Netflix, you may have come across Kidnap (2017). On a bored dreary evening, the synopsis peaked my interest and I thought I would dedicate 1hr 35 mins to some downtime and watch this.

The Plot

Karla Dyson is a stereotypical American single mother, struggling with balancing childcare with a busy job of waitressing. She seems to be working with incompetent co-workers who don’t show up for work, whilst her six year-old son, Frankie, is patiently waiting to go to the fun fair. Karla deals with some rude customers and some fussy ones, a reality we’ve all come across if you’ve ever worked in hospitality or retail. Whilst on an important phone call to her solicitor, regarding Frankie’s Dad and and his pediatrician girlfriend wanting full custody. Long story short – she turns around and Frankie has been kidnapped, she catches a glimpse of him being bundled into a car and then there’s a high speed car chase.

The Good

  • When Karla says Marco, Frankie says Polo – kind of cute 🙂
  • Halle Berry’s acting is super and her emotions come through
  • Karla’s wit at the end when she suspects the neighbour was involved based on him calling the girls in the roof
  • She is reunited with her son at the end (major spoiler #sorrynotsorry!)

The Bad

  • Although I love a good, high speed car chase; the more dramatic the better, it felt like the movie comprised of an hour car chase and 36 minutes of piecing the other pieces together.
  • The home videos at the beginning are a tad lengthy, one or two would’ve have demonstrated Karla’s love for her son just the same.

The Questions

Most films have wholes in the plot which leave questions in the viewer’s mind, or maybe I just overthink a lot.

  • Why was the woman in the cafe so rude but the man wasn’t? I thought it was foreshadowing who the kidnappers were.
  • Why did the dad and the girlfriend not appear, even after some emphasis on him wanting full custody and her being a pediatrician?
  • How did it escalate from Karla saving her son to single-handedly breaking an international child grooming ring?

Overall, worth a watch if you’ve got some time – but don’t expect too much of a high speed chase like Rush Hour or Fast and Furious and do not expect the suspense of Taken.