Watch Kidnap

Kidnap, released in 2017, is a fast-paced thriller starring Halle Berry in the lead role of Karla Dyson, a single mother working as a waitress to make ends meet for her young son, Frankie (Sage Correa). The movie is directed by Luis Prieto and written by Knate Lee. Karla and Frankie are having a day out at a local park when she receives an important call from her lawyer regarding a custody battle with her ex-husband for Frankie. While Karla is on the phone, Frankie goes missing in the crowded park. A frantic search ensues, but after some time, Karla spots her son being forced into a car by two strangers. Without thinking twice, Karla takes matters into her own hands and chases after the kidnappers in her minivan.

The rest of the movie is a nail-biting cat and mouse chase between Karla and the kidnappers. It takes Karla on a dangerous, high-speed car chase through the streets of Louisiana, while she tries to save her son from the clutches of the kidnappers. Along the way, she encounters several obstacles, including a police officer who initially doesn't believe her story and a pedestrian who unknowingly obstructs her pursuit.

Despite her naivete, Karla's motherly instincts prove to be a powerful force. As the clock ticks down, she grows more and more determined, focused, and skilled at evading the kidnappers, all while keeping her son safe. Her desperation and frustration show as she becomes more and more desperate to save her son. Her pursuit is relentless, and she is willing to jeopardize her own safety to ensure her son's safe return.

Halle Berry's acting is remarkable, and viewers can see her intense devotion to her character and the story. Her portrayal of Karla is fierce and realistic, and the audience can sympathize with the desperation and frustration she feels, particularly as she struggles to get the authorities to help her.

Sage Correa, who plays Frankie, also performs really well, particularly considering he is a young child. His character doesn't say much, but his eyes convey his immense fear and vulnerability, and any viewer is likely to share Karla's frustration and desperation to see him safe and sound.

The villains, led by Chris McGinn's Margo and Lew Temple's Terry, play their role adequately, from their limited screen time, their performances seem to be caricatured a bit, to add more drama to the movie. Although it is the main conflict, their characters never get fully developed beyond being kidnappers.

The movie is visually stunning, with beautiful shots of the natural Louisiana landscape and the high energy car chase scenes. It also contains some entertaining and tense action sequences, and the climax of the film is especially heart-racing, making it a worthwhile watch.

However, at times the movie leaves the viewer feeling unsure of what the ultimate goal is. Beyond Karla's desire to save her son from the kidnappers, there is no deeper motivation and nothing pulling the viewer into the story beyond the straight-forward chase. The film also offers little explanation for the kidnappers' involvement in the story other than a vague threat to Karla for interfering.

In conclusion, Kidnap is a well-executed kidnapping thriller with superb acting from Halle Berry and Sage Correa. The story is engaging, and viewers will be on the edge of their seats throughout the entire movie. Although uncomplicated, it is a movie with brutal simplicity, and its straightforward narrative makes it compelling. It could have been developed further with a more coherent plot, but it still packs plenty of thrills and suspense to make it worth watching.

Kidnap is a 2017 drama with a runtime of 1 hour and 21 minutes. It has received mostly poor reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 5.9 and a MetaScore of 44.