Rebecca White (Kaylee DeFer) works her tail off for her high-maintenence boss, hotel mogul Suzanne Hollingsworth (Lauren Holly). During a
particularly stressful afternoon in which nothing seems to be going right for Ms. Hollingsworth, she hastily fires Rebecca when she's forced to fly
commercially to her next destination. Bad weather forces her flight down in Detroit. All the finest hotels are booked and those with rooms remaining
refuse her service given her scathing print comments about Detroit's hotels. She finds herself checked into a cheap roadside motel where she
restlessly awaits her temporary next-door neighbors to quiet down for the night. When the fussing never ceases, she demands an answer but is
instead kidnapped by two Russians, Vlad (Christopher Wolfe) and Oscar (Massi Furlan). The next day, she finds herself in the middle of a human
trafficking operation with girls tricked into thinking they're competing for a modeling gig but who are really being sold as sex slaves. While she tries
to convince the girls of their plight, Rebecca and fellow Hollingsworth employee Elliot (Joe Lando) travel to Detroit in an effort to track down their
wayward boss.
"We are friends of Suzanne Hollingsworth. We were told that she is here, could we see her please?"
Abducted, or Layover as it's also known, proves almost disastrously slow. It takes a good long while to develop but uses that time
unwisely, failing to paint its characters much beyond the superficial. When crisis does strike, then, audiences won't care all that deeply about their
plight
and the outcome. Suzanne's utter lack of likability is offset by the dedication of her fired assistant, but given the way Rebecca is treated the movie
makes it easier to root for her successful rescue attempt rather than really care about Suzanne's fate. Nevertheless, this is ultimately a
halfway decent missing person's "movie of the week" sort and one of the finest films ever released under the Asylum banner. It's probably the
best-acted movie
The Asylum has ever put out -- Lauren Holly and Joe Lando are no lightweights, and they put in an honest film's work here -- and the actors are given
a competent script and work under a knowledgeable director to boot to make this a far better movie than some might believe it to be just going on the
label on the
box.
Abducted features the typically good-looking 1.78:1, HD video-sourced Asylum Blu-ray transfer. Aside from light banding, shimmering, and a
few jaggies, the transfer boasts crystal-clear imagery that's nicely detailed, from animal fur to human skin, from grungy abandoned hospital accents to
close-ups of jewelry. Colors are bright and even, black levels are solid, and flesh tones accurate. This is a good all-around image from The Asylum.
Abducted features a clear and accurate DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. Dialogue comes through cleanly; music enjoys natural
spacing, clarity, and a good low-end support; and light ambience is limited but effective when heard. A few scattered gunshots offer midlevel power and
presence. This is a simple track for a straightforward movie with no real moments of great sonic impact. It gets the job done well enough but never
pushes itself beyond what's required.
Abducted is slow almost to a fault, but good acting, solid direction, and a workable script make it a passable and light little excursion into the
dark world of kidnapping, human trafficking, and employee loyalty. The Asylum's Blu-ray features good video and audio along with a couple of brief
extras. Worth
a rental.
