Common Sense Media Review
Violence and language in star-studded kidnapping thriller.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
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Trapped
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
Having succeeded four times, Hickey (Kevin Bacon) thinks he's perfected a 24-hour kidnapping plan in TRAPPED. But his fifth -- the daughter of wealthy couple Karen (Charlize Theron) and Will (Stuart Townsend) -- might cause more trouble than he's expecting. Right off the bat, he finds out that Abby (Dakota Fanning), the little girl he's sent off to a cabin in the woods with his cousin Marvin (Pruitt Taylor Vince), suffers asthma and needs medication. Marvin already has doubts about what they're doing. His wife, Cheryl (Courtney Love), is sent to keep Will, who is out of town for a conference, in check. Meanwhile, Hickey plans to have sex with Karen. But nothing goes as planned.
Is It Any Good?
Convincing performances from Kevin Bacon and Charlize Theron lift this thriller up a notch, as does brisk pacing and a triad of set-ups. Trapped focuses on three separate pairs in three different locations: the ringleader and the mom, the ringleader's wife overseeing the dad, and the ringleader's cousin watching the kidnapped child. This allows the action to jump among them, keeping the limited scenario from getting stale. Bacon is sufficiently creepy, and Theron's turn from frightened to determined is believable. A blow-out climax and finale provide the action largely missing in the rest of the film.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the reasons Hickey and Cheryl have kidnapped Abby in Trapped. Did their own history excuse their actions? Why or why not?
Cheryl and Marvin seem to have misgivings about their part in the kidnapping. Where do you see this?
This movie is from 2002. What do you think would be different if this film were made today?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : January 26, 2002
- Cast : Kevin Bacon , Charlize Theron , Courtney Love
- Director : Luis Mandoki
- Inclusion Information : Latino Movie Director(s) , Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Netflix
- Genre : Thriller
- Run time : 106 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : violence, language and sexual content
- Last updated : February 7, 2024
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