On Shudder now

A night of unimaginable terror awaits twelve-year-old Bobby and his best friend, Kevin, when they are abducted on their way home from school.

One of the biggest hurdles for Justin Powell and David Charbonier’s co-directed thriller (they also co-wrote it) is in convincing people to watch a movie that has such a dark subject matter – child abduction. As entertainment goes, this sounds like a terrible idea, which is a shame, because it’s not that movie. Rather than dwelling on the awful treatment of child kidnapping, it’s about the power of friendship and strength in the face of adversity.

Bobby (Lonnie Chavis, This Is Us) and Kevin (Ezra Dewey, The Djinn) are the best of friends – both dreaming of visiting the coast of California. Their worlds are turned upside down when they are kidnapped by a couple on the way back from football practice – Kevin is tied up in the abductors’ house while Bobby has been left in the trunk of their car. It’s made pretty clear later on that the people who ordered the abduction aren’t interested in black kids, and Bobby has been left to suffocate. What they didn’t count on was Bobby’s determination to escape and save his friend.

What follows is 90 minutes of well-executed cat and mouse drama as the boys and abductors fight to gain control of the situation. And that’s pretty much all you need to know without spoiling some of the surprises – including a very on the nose tribute to The Shining. At one point my watch reminded me to take a breath, which is good advice, in any situation.

Verdict: Ignore the shady theme and any fears that this is an exploitation movie. Instead treat it as a heart stopping, well constructed battle of good against evil. 8/10

Nick Joy