Skip to content
MovieCove
Kidnap

Kidnap

They messed with the wrong mother.

201795 minRMidcredits score: 40th percentile of all films
Director
Luis Prieto
Starring
Halle Berry, Sage Correa, Chris McGinn, Lew Temple

A mother (in her Minivan) stops at nothing to recover her kidnapped son.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Kidnap?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Kidnap streaming on Hulu and to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video.

Subscription

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Kidnap?

Kidnap earns 4 badges, led by Award Winner and Cathartic.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office

Reception

Is Kidnap worth watching?

Kidnap's Midcredits score is the 40th percentile of all films, from 75K ratings across 6 sources. 42% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

40th percentile

Better received than 40% of films

56th percentile among Action40th percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)39th
Approval (how many liked it)41st

58 /100

39th percentile of all films

55th percentile among Action40th percentile among 2010s

Critics 44 · Audience 59

Audiences liked it more than critics did.

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 6.1 — solid but not unanimous.

42% liked it

41st percentile of all films

55th percentile among Action40th percentile among 2010s
42% rated it 7–1058% rated it 1–6

Critics 34% · Audience 50%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of audiences approved than critics.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 2 wins / 4 noms overall

96th percentile

75K ratings across platforms

92nd percentile among Action96th percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 9% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$21M
Opening weekend$10M
Domestic gross$31M
Worldwide gross$35M

Returned 1.7× its budget — 74th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

A mother's desperate, non-stop car chase to rescue her kidnapped son, driven more by adrenaline than logic.

Fans praised

  • relentless suspense and intensity from start to finish
  • Halle Berry's committed, emotionally raw performance
  • tight pacing and effective car chase sequences

Detractors panned

  • illogical character decisions and gaping plot holes
  • lazy writing with contrived obstacles and lack of police presence
  • repetitive, one-note car chase that overstays its welcome

What stands out

TensionDivisive68

highly suspenseful and edge-of-seat for many, but undercut by implausibility for detractors

ActingDivisive65

Halle Berry delivers a visceral, committed performance as a frantic mother, though detractors find it overwrought or limited

PacingDivisive65

rapid, breathless momentum once chase begins, but repetitive and padded for some

Effects and spectacleDivisive55

car chases and crashes are energetic but frequently unconvincing in physics and speed

Characters30

thinly sketched kidnappers are one-dimensional stereotypes; mother's characterization is single-minded

Dialogue25

clunky, on-the-nose lines including constant talking-to-oneself narration

Plot and storyDivisive20

premise is simple but riddled with illogical decisions and contrived obstacles

Originality15

derivative of Taken and Berry's own The Call; formulaic kidnapping-chase structure

Preferred by

Critics vs users

Preferred by Critics

Critics scored it 10 points higher than users.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 7 points apart
  • Under-30s vs over-30s 2 points apart
  • US vs non-US 3 points apart

Watch experience

What is Kidnap like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Tense and gripping: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are ready to pay close attention and feel heavy feelings, and you want something tense that holds you to the end.

It is intense, never lets up and leaves you wrung out and released. Skip it when you want an easy night or you can only half-watch.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Your full attention and room for heavy feelings.

What it feels like

Tense and gripping.

The answer rests on this: Moods
TenseDreadThrilling
Heaviest: late
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film plays its premise completely straight, with no irony or distance from the mother's terror and determination.
The rideSustained tension from the kidnapping onward, with an especially intense and violent climax; the emotional pressure peaks during the final confrontations at the barn and lake.
StructureA straightforward linear chase from park to highway to rural barn. No temporal tricks.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Wrung out and released.

Cathartic · 6% of filmsRousing · 10% of films
Why it leaves you this wayThe viewer leaves with a sense of relief and empowerment after the mother's relentless fight succeeds.
How it ends · evidence
Happy ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).QuestRescue
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10% (this title): Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% (this title) · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Quest: A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles. · Rescue: Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).

10% of films fit this archetype

Why this archetypeA mother chases the kidnappers who took her son, with the entire story driven by her mission to recover him.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelf
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27% (this title): Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% (this title) · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% (this title) · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% (this title) · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Bonds

Parenthood · 2% of filmsSurvivalJustice · 13% of films
Celebrates its theme: Affirms its theme — this is good and worth having.Community stakes: Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Single lead
How it treats its themeA mother's relentless drive to protect and recover her child drives every action, while survival and justice emerge from her fight against the kidnappers.
StanceThe film celebrates a mother's fierce love and resourcefulness as she stops a trafficking ring, reaffirming that parental devotion can overcome systemic evil.

The world

ContemporaryUrbanRuralIn transitRealistic
Orchestral modernElectronicSupportive music · original score · Federico Jusid
SettingA small American town and its surrounding highways, parks, and countryside
MusicThe score uses driving strings and electronic pulses to heighten chase tension and underscore Karla's desperation.

Content guide

Is Kidnap okay for kids?

R

Kidnap is rated R: “Rated R for violence and peril” (MPAA). As of October 3, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at intense (62/100), sexual content at minimal (4/100), language at moderate (43/100), drug and alcohol content at minimal (1/100) and frightening material at intense (70/100). Overall it is heavier than 20% of R-rated films.

Ratings in 9 other countries
  • UK15
  • Germany16
  • Ireland15
  • JapanR15+
  • Brazil12
  • Israelהותר לבני 14 ומעלה
  • Netherlands12
  • Russia18+
  • SK15
Overall
Moderate · all five categories
Heavier than 48% of all filmsHeavier than 20% of R-rated films
Violence & Gore
Intense
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 39%
Sex & Nudity
None / Minimal
light for an R-rated film
heavier than 1%
Profanity
Moderate
light for an R-rated film
heavier than 16%
Alcohol & Drugs
None / Minimal
light for an R-rated film
heavier than 1%
Frightening / Intense
Intense
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 64%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

The reason to think twice is frightening material and violence. Everything else sits at or below what R-rated films usually carry.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Kidnap have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Kidnap?

Cast

2 of the 10 billed cast had never appeared on screen; 1 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor.

Halle Berry
as Karla Dyson
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Sage Correa
as Frankie
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Chris McGinn
as Margo
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Lew Temple
as Terry
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Jason George
as David
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.
Christopher Berry
as Bearded Man
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Arron Shiver
as Bill
Kurtis Bedford
as Del
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Dana Gourrier
as Female Sheriff's Deputy
Rising: A short career with a standing when this film came out above the median working actor today.
Carmella Riley
as Stephanie
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Kidnap?

Movies like Kidnap include The 2nd (2020), Extortion (2017) and He's Out There (2018). Of the 12 closest matches, several are kidnapping stories, and most are films about survival.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

9 of these 12 share its subject: parenthood. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Kidnap?

3.9K other films share the rarest tag below, kind of film: survival thriller. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.