Indie Thriller Movie Review: The Abducted and Choosing Sides

*Full disclosure: a screener of this film was provided by Gravitas Ventures. Their website is (here).

Director: Jon Bonnell.

Writer: Alyssa Alexandria.

The Abducted is a serial killer thriller, which was completed in 2009. The film then had a long wait for a DVD release (March 9th, 2011), and a video-on-demand release (February, 2011). Brain Damage Films distributed this independent film and they, of course, are know for films like Bikini Party Massacre (2002) and Bachelor Party in the Bungalow of the Damned (2008). So right off the bat you know that you are in strange territory. And what makes The Abducted even stranger is the fact that writer Alyssa Alexandria disowned this film by using a common pen name when walking away from a film, Adam Smithee. Other evidence of poor workmanship comes from the dissociative identity of the film, with other titles like Match.Dead and bizarrely Naked Fear 2, gracing this film at different times. Simply put, the backstory on the film is more interesting than the film itself.

Kathleen Benner (Flesh, TX) plays Valora a woman caught in nightmare, also known as online dating. Her adversary is played by James Ray (Latte Trouble), a troubled psychopath. They meet through the interwebs and soon you are asking yourself: who are these actors? Do not get this reviewer wrong, the acting is good and strong in some instances, but these are not recognizable faces. However, Ray's charisma makes some of the scenes lighter, despite a graveyard of women in his character, Ridley's backyard. Also, Benner is up to the physical challenge of the role. Just do not expect to see any big names in The Abducted. Otherwise, you will be disappointed. But, disappointment is hard to avoid in this film.

Moving on to the setting, the desert landscapes look great, but, if you view this film, much of your time will be looking at the last remnants of a trailer park, or some type of run down ranch. The Abducted rarely leaves this location. Meanwhile, the tedium of a cat-and-mouse interplay between Valora and Ridley is amplified by the repetitiveness of the backdrop. The Abducted could have used a few more shots of other sets to liven up the film.

Steve Miller of the movie review site Terror Titans says of the film's weaknesses: "the biggest flaw with the film is that we never get any insight into the film's villain, Ridley." This reviewer would go even further; where is the tension? Where are the thrills? Where is the suspense? You know how this reel is going to play out from the first ten minutes e.g. girl overcomes an overcompensating narcissist. So, watching the film is almost an exercise in tedium, or patience. However, even one more element is missing from this thriller.

Where is the moral dilemma? The material is not challenging from an ethical perspective. Whose side are you on in a serial killer flick? This question is rhetoric and sometimes a killer is given an interesting backstory e.g. Michael Myers in Halloween, or Ted Bundy. The attention paid to an antagonist as he/she is motivated to murder is at least interesting, if not sometimes disturbing. This backstory makes picking sides slightly more difficult. However, The Abducted does not do this. Any moral themes can be deciphered with ease.

The Abducted is now on DVD, as of March 11th and various video-on-demand platforms e.g. Comcast, AT&T. But, you might want to hold off on purchasing this film and choose others from Gravitas Ventures, with a listing available below. Otherwise, you might find yourself counting the tumbleweeds in the film, like this reviewer did.

Overall: 5 out of 10 (the original script was obviously not followed, as per writer Alyssa Alexandria's dismissal of the film, acting is okay, the setting is beautiful, but redundant, and the climax is like a speed bump, rather than a well executed finale).

A second review of this title is available at Steve Miller's Blog, titled Terror Titans:

Terror Titans' Blogspot

Other films from Gravitas Ventures are listed here:

Recent Film Releases at Gravitas Ventures

The homepage for The Abducted is listed here:

The Abducted as Match.Dead Online

Most likely a mistake:



Advertise Here - Contact me Michael Allen at 28DLA

 |  |  |  |  |  | 

Subscribe to 28 Days Later: An Analysis by Email

Posted in: 2011,alyssa alexandria,desert,desert setting,gravitas ventures,james ray,jon bonnell,kathleen benner,morial dilemma,movie review,plot,serial killer movie review,silly,the abducted