Midlands Review of A Kidnap
midlandsmovies • July 19, 2020
Midlands Review of A Kidnap
Directed by Lee Greenhough
2020
A Kidnap tells the story of Izzy (Eloise Joo) and her older adopted brother Lewis (Jacob Cottrell) who are kidnapped by three assailants, hidden away in a secret location they must find a way to get out alive before time runs out in this new Midlands thriller.
The film opens with a aerial view of a white van driving up a country road, and off screen we can hear what we assume is the kidnapper in charge demanding that the children's father listens and pays a ransom of £50,000.
The opening scene is slick and sets the mood perfectly for a thriller, and soon after the films titles fade away we are introduced to the kidnappers as they burst through a door, shoving young Izzy to the ground and carrying an unconscious Lewis.
Writer, director and editor Lee Greenhough does a masterful job of establishing each character within the first few minutes, we see Tuco (Tee Morris) is the clear leader as he sets the rules and the tone. There are also his two female accomplices Blondie (Imogen Archer), a psychotic loose cannon and Angel (Mollie Hindle), the anxious one with a good soul.
With these differing personalities its not surprising when they eventually clash, director Greenhough concentrates on this element of the story which makes A Kidnap much more interesting than if the focus were on the plight of the abducted teenagers.
The trio are confident their plan is simple and will be successful. However throughout the film they are faced with various challenges that threaten this. For example, we discover the reason Lewis is unconscious is because he tried to be a “hero” and prevent his sister being kidnapped.
Before he regains consciousness there is a worry amongst them that he is dead which would jeopardise everything. Another obstacle is when they are interrupted by a passing security guard Arch (Daniel Jordan) who subtly threatens to expose the crime if he is not paid what he think he deserves.
Unfortunately there are a few issues with sound throughout the film, some dialogue was hard to understand but with an ambitious premise with an extremely low budget it is difficult to perfect every aspect.
Cinematographer Paul Horton uses excellent tracking shots to show the secluded space the characters are in, the framing is well done and the drone footage at the beginning of the film gives A Kidnap a uniquely cinematic feel.
Greenhough does a great job in keeping the audience interested in the story too. Instead of relying on the motive to acquire £50,000 he makes it more interesting by hinting that there is more to the story, that this isn't just an effort to get rich quick. As the credits roll there is a sense of relief that the film kept that consistent tone that all good thrillers need.
Overall A Kidnap is a decent effort to make an exciting thriller on a low budget, the story is interesting and the camerawork impressive. Some technical aspects such as the sound make it a frustrating watch but a worthwhile one if you are a fan of the genre. It would definitely be interesting to see what other ideas Greenhough could bring to the big screen in his next project.
Guy Russell
Twitter @budguyer
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