Trapped (2002)

(In theaters, September 2002) A recrudescence of kidnapping reports in the media during summer 2002 forced this thriller to be released without fanfare, quietly dumped in theatres without much publicity surrounding it. This is quite unfortunate, because Trapped is an effective thriller, a good suspense film featuring good performances and a tight script. Kevin Bacon shines (as usual) in his portrayal of an experienced kidnapper who has perfected the crime until it becomes “a machine based on fear”. What he doesn’t know is that his latest attempt won’t go so well when both mother and father turn against him. There’s plenty of tension here, helped by a mechanically apt script that cranks the suspense like it’s supposed to do. The first half of the film is better than the second, as a “personal” motivation comes to ruin the more terrifying business-as-usual attitude of the antagonist. The film also does change tone radically in its last few minutes, with a thrilling blam-bang final sequence that teaches a few things to most of the “pure” action movies of the year. There is a lot to like in Trapped, especially when you’re not expecting much from it. Watching a nude Courtney Love being tortured by Stuart Townsend might not be anyone’s idea of a good time, but that particular scene is only one of the few interesting surprises about a film that should have done much, much better at the box-office than it has.