Blu-ray Review - Trapped (2002)

Over the weekend, I watched 2002's Trapped (R; 97 minutes), based on the novel 24 Hours by Greg Iles, who also penned the screenplay. Directed by Luis Mandoki, the movie stars Charlize Theron, Courtney Love, Stuart Townsend, Dakota Fanning, and Kevin Bacon. It's a well-made thriller that has somehow fallen under the radar. The film got its first standalone Blu-ray (Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart) release this year from Mill Creek Entertainment.

The plot centers on Joe Hickey (played by Bacon), Cheryl Hickey (played by Love), and Marvin (played by Pruitt Taylor Vince) kidnapping and terrorizing Dr. Will Jennings (played by Townshend), his wife Karen (played by Theron), and their asthmatic daughter Abigail (played by Fanning) in a revenge plot.

While Will attends a medical conference, Joe takes Karen hostage, and his pal, Marvin, takes Abigail to a remote location. Then Joe’s wife, Cheryl, confronts Will at gunpoint. Their 24-hour plan is to hold the family hostage separately and extort money from them.

Final Thoughts

The more I watch Trapped, the more I appreciate it. It's a well-directed thriller with an amazing cast and an intriguing twist. I might have read Greg Iles's novel, as I remember buying a book called 24 Hours under the assumption it was tied to the 24 television series starring Kiefer Sutherland, but when I started reading it, I realized it had nothing to do with it.

The picture quality on the Blu-ray is decent. There are no special features or bonus extras of any kind, not even a trailer. There is an English subtitle option.

Overall, Trapped is an entertaining thriller that got overlooked by moviegoers upon its original release in 2002. I recommend checking it on Blu-ray.