Kevin Bacon and Charlize Theron head an all-star cast in this taut thriller about a man whose plan to get rich by kidnapping the children of wealthy families and holding them for ransom goes horribly wrong when the parents of his latest victim fight tooth and nail to save their asthmatic daughter.
Will and Karen Jennings live an idyllic lifestyle with daughter Abby (Dakota Fanning) at their lakeside house in Portland. Their lives are set to be further enriched as Will, a scientist, is about to receive a patent for a remarkable anaesthetic he has invented.
Aware of the Jennings' impending riches, Joe Hickey, a criminal who has hit upon what he feels is a foolproof 24-hour kidnapping scam, plans on making Abby his next kidnapping target. Hickey's plan consists of his cousin Marvin (Pruitt Taylor Vince) kidnapping the child and hiding out in a cottage in the woods while Hickey holds the mother hostage in their home. Hickey's wife Cheryl (Courtney Love) then obtains the ransom money from the father while he is away on a business trip. If the cops are called, the child dies.
Kevin Bacon is at his sleazy yet charismatic best as the bad guy in this compelling movie, the structure of which is based in real time, adding a further sense of tension to proceedings. Always being careful to treat its subject matter of child abduction with respect, Trapped remains an edge-of-your-seat thriller with some terrific performances.
Trapped is a Film programme that first aired in 2002 and has been classified a 15 certificate.
