Watch Taken In Broad Daylight
- TV-14
- 2009
- 1 Season
-
5.5 (1,596)
Taken In Broad Daylight is a television movie that was created and distributed by Lifetime Entertainment Services in 2009. It is a true crime story that is based on the abduction of Anne Sluti, which took place in Nebraska in 2001. The movie is directed by Gary Yates and the screenplay is by John Wierick.
The movie stars Sara Canning, James Van Der Beek, and LeVar Burton. Sara Canning plays Anne Sluti, the teenage girl who is kidnapped in the film. Van Der Beek, of Dawson's Creek fame, plays Tony Zappa, the man who abducts Anne. LeVar Burton plays Sgt. Joe Bell, the police detective who investigates Anne's disappearance.
The movie begins with a depiction of Anne's relatively normal life in rural Nebraska. She is a well-liked high school student who has a close relationship with her parents and siblings. One day, while walking home from a friend's house, she is accosted by Tony Zappa, a stranger in a truck who convinces her to get into the vehicle. Zappa then drives Anne to a remote cabin in the woods, where he holds her captive for four days.
The bulk of the movie takes place during Anne's captivity. We see her try and fail to escape several times. We see her struggle with the decision of whether or not to comply with her captor's demands. We see her parents, community members, and the police frantically search for her, as they fear the worst.
The movie is effective in creating an atmosphere of tension and fear. We feel every moment of Anne's terror, frustration, and sadness. It is clear that Sara Canning is well-suited to the role, able to convey a wide range of emotions convincingly. Van Der Beek is also impressive in his portrayal of Zappa, who is convincingly creepy and unhinged.
LeVar Burton's role as Sgt. Joe Bell is less central to the story, but he provides a steady presence as the voice of authority and reason. He is genuinely sympathetic to Anne and her family's plight, and his level-headedness is a valuable asset in a case that could easily have spiraled out of control.
The story is well-paced, with plenty of moments of suspense and action. We see Tony Zappa's increasingly erratic behavior, which ramps up the tension in the cabin scenes. We also see Anne's parents and the police working tirelessly to find her, which does a good job of balancing out the more claustrophobic aspects of the story.
Overall, Taken In Broad Daylight is a gripping and emotional true crime story that does justice to the real-life events it is based on. It's a well-acted, well-directed movie that will leave viewers on the edge of their seats. It's not an easy watch, as it deals with some heavy subject matter, but it's definitely worth checking out for fans of true crime dramas.
Taken In Broad Daylight is a series that ran for 1 seasons (1 episodes) between February 15, 2009 and on Lifetime Entertainment Services