Where to watch Abducted A.K.A. Layover
3 Stars
Imagine a version of The Devil Wears Prada where Meryl Streep is mean to the wrong person – who turns out to be a sex trafficker and she’s kidnapped. Then Anne Hathaway must try to find her before she’s killed or sold off. That’s the basis for The Asylum’s latest Lifetime TV movie Abducted, or as it was called when it originally aired on the network for women, Layover.
Well shot and decently acted this is up to par with anything else on Lifetime. The storyline is also in the same vein you’d expect from this network, women in danger but finding the strength to overcome. I can’t believe that people are still complaining about the level of film-making coming out of The Asylum, there’s some great camera work in Abducted, and a twist that’s fun. Yes, somehow The Asylum has made a sex trafficking movie on Lifetime fun. They’ve taken a complete action approach here, and have even ripped off a few Michael Bay-ish camera moves.
Lauren Holly is good, but at times she overacts. Kaylee DeFer shows some real chops though and comes out looking like a true pro. Her timing is down comedically, thanks to her stint on the sitcom War at Home no doubt, and dramatically she’s all there too. I hope Hollywood takes some shine to her, she deserves better than this. Not that Naomi Selfman’s script is bad, just the kind of cheese and predictability you’d come to expect for a Lifetime movie.
I’d recommend this to anyone that enjoys Lifetime TV movies. If that’s not you, this might not be your thing.
Director: R.D. Braunstein
Stars: Lauren Holly, Kaylee DeFer, Joe Lando
This movie shouldn’t be discounted because of its source — Lifetime. The screenplay was well crafted and the character arcs were excellent… direction and photography well done, and the resolution was quite rewarding and clever. We are in an age were vice is a virtue, where you can almost always be assured there is not much difference between the protagonist and antagonist. In this film there was truly a difference. Virtue is oft considered a weak trait. But that is not true, it takes guts. In this film we have a nasty boss and a young assistant who is treated badly, but in spite of that her conscience, heart, wits and courage to go beyond her hurt feelings and proves to be the difference when most people would have walked away.
The acting was good, and the characters believable, and the subject one that should not be ignored.
If this were a major studio movie with a big budget it would be notable hit.
I give it an 8 considering it’s a low-budget made for TV movie. Bravo!