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Gemma Arterton, Martin Compston, Eddie Marsan

An abduction takes a number of unexpected turns in this independent thriller from Britain. Vic (Eddie Marsan) and Danny (Martin Compston) are a pair of ex-cons who spend several days elaborately sound... read more read more...proofing and reinforcing the walls of a small apartment. Vic is hard-edged and domineering with a fierce suspicious streak, while Danny is weak-willed and will do nearly anything Vic asks of him. We soon learn what Vic and Danny were planning as they grab a young woman off the street, take her back home, and tie her to the bed. The young woman is named Alice Creed (Gemma Arterton), and she comes from a wealthy family; after taking some snapshots of her, Vic fires off a ransom demand to her father, asking for two million pounds in exchange for Alice's safe return. Vic is convinced he's executing the perfect crime, but it becomes apparent that not everything is going as planned; Alice is smarter and more resourceful than he imagined, and Danny's allegiances can be manipulated in ways Vic never anticipated. The Disappearance of Alice Creed was the first feature film from director J Blakeson. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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63% liked it

26,193 ratings

Critics

81% liked it

89 critics

R, 1 hr. 38 min.

Directed by: J Blakeson

Release Date: August 6, 2010

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DVD Release Date: November 23, 2010

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Stats: 1,249 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (1,249)

  • helpahorse
    January 25, 2012
    helpahorse
    Pretty decent movie.

    I liked how the plot slowly unravelled itself. It starts out as a general kidnapping then gets more specific and goes into depth about each character's relationship with each other. With only 3 cast members, it seems like it would get pretty boring, but th... read moree acting is very believable and the movie is never boring. The different twists were very shocking and the movie overall was very well executed. It would be hard to pull a movie like this off. The writing was a little shaky, but the movie turned out quite fine. From the beginning of the movie, it seemed like it would've been really shallow, but this film really goes into depth about everything. The characters were actually fully developed! It's amazing.

    *SPOILERS*
    The only real problem..well not problem, but I kind of would've liked to know how Danny got in jail in the first place to meet Vic. I also would've liked to see the relationship of Danny and Alice before the kidnapping to see if Danny really loved her like he said.

    Also, when they were abducting Alice, a few things made me question the reality of the kidnapping:

    1) Why would they need a gag for Alice when they already sound proofed the room? If the room was sound proof then no one could hear her scream...so why would it matter? I guess to make her scared, but she is already handcuffed to a bed and can't move...was the gag necessary? Not really. I mean if they were going to gag her why would they waste money on sound proofing an entire room? Soundproofing rooms seems like it would be rather expensive.
    2)Why did they strip her naked and change her clothes? To see if she had a cell phone or anything? Couldn't they have just patted her down and checked her pockets? I mean it seems like a lot of effort to take off her clothes then dress her again...while she's handcuffed to a bed nonetheless. I think that part was a little exploitative.... actually I think the two nude scenes in this movie were rather exploitative. Well the first scene was to show how Alice was humiliated, so I guess I could get that...and in the second scene Danny was kind of humiliated, but not really, so that part was definitely exploitative and unnecessary.
    3)Why did Alice scream for Danny when Vic was interrogating her? Why the hell would she want Danny to come to her rescue? He almost killed her and strangled her....did she really think he would help her? That part of the movie seemed forced. The movie somehow wanted Vic to find out about Alice and Danny's relationship, but I think having Danny strangle Alice then having Alice call him for help seemed stupid. There's no way Alice would want a sociopath to help her. The writers should've thought of another way for Vic to find out.

    Other than that....cool movie.
  • itsjustme2004
    October 3, 2011
    itsjustme2004
    A superbly done thriller, with wonderful and believable plot twists. The best feature of the film is that there are only three actors..absolutely noone else. The viewer begins to feel the isolation, and the desperation, of Alice as there is no one else to consider as a potential ... read moresavior. Nothing to divert your attention from the drama of three people in mortal struggle. Plenty of twists, and a well done ending. Kudos!
  • murphmann93
    June 23, 2011
    murphmann93
    Unusual but at the same time that kept you all the more intrigued. A good film!
  • shawnewing92
    March 14, 2011
    shawnewing92
    Slow paced thriller with a simple plot, that ties together with a clever twist.
  • skactopus
    March 9, 2011
    skactopus
    The Disappearance of Alice Creed, from director J Blakeson, has just enough to avoid major disappointment.

    This film takes on the challenge of telling a 90+ minute story with only 3 characters to show. The first 5 minutes contain no dialogue, but it takes advantage of s

    ... read moreome good cinematography to setup characters and the plot, which isn't that deep to begin with.

    Unfortunately, the rest of the film never lives up to its noteworthy introduction. With every minor turn that helps move the story along, the suspenseful atmosphere decreases leaving things less and less entertaining. The setting, while appropriate for a film of this genre, gets stale after a while, making any change of scenery most welcome.

    The three cast members do enough to get this film to its conclusion. The characters themselves are rather unlikable, but Gemma Arterton is quite enjoyable and it isn't just because of her nudity.

    The Disappearance of Alice Creed does have room for improvement; however, what's done is done and it is a watchable movie.
  • bbcfloridabound
    March 4, 2011
    bbcfloridabound
    There is a lot of ways I could review this movie, but my written review will not take away from the star rating. This is a great movie, Really shows interesting detail in kidnapping a person, plenty of suspense and drama edge of the seat action; Eddie Masan plays the part of bad ... read moreguy like no other he is the Charles Bronson of the 21 Century. Now for the negative side. No where did I read in previews or reviews what I was to see midway in this movie. If I lose friends in this review or if you delete me from your friends list because of this review then so be it. I should not have to watch a good movie only to be offended midway though it, to find two males embraced and tongue kissing. If this is your cup of tea, fine, so be it. But its a shame when the movie making to be's have to put in such scene's in order to sell a movie, Still overall storyline gets 4 stars
  • ceWEBrity
    January 20, 2011
    ceWEBrity
    I really admire The Disappearance of Alice Creed's visual construction - with very few sets, J Blakeson designs a world both utterly mundane and yet nightmarishly threatening. It really looks like an apartment that you'd get kept in if you yourself were kidnapped. Likewise, the f... read moreilm is peppered with shadowy close-ups and sinister profiles, never letting you feel as if you have the chance to breathe. It is chronically in your face, a sensation not quite matched by its plot, which though clever seems somewhat uninvolved and not all that ambitious. The actors give it all the life they can, but ultimately it's just hollow support for something that doesn't really have legs. The Disappearance of Alice Creed feels like a handful of twists stitched into a typical kidnapping story with very little else to distinguish itself. Good attempt, but hopefully Blakeson will be given better material to work with in a future project.
  • deano
    January 12, 2011
    deano
    The small world of the story is bound by anonymous settings, such as a van and a flat. Despite a seesawing balance of power, there isn't much in the way of violent action... until the third act.
    From then on there's plenty of beatings, Gemma Arterton is left completely (yes, COMP... read moreLETELY) naked on one occasion and tied to a bed. It's a lot cleverer than it seems though; there's a couple of excellent plot twists which are hard to see coming and the plot is super focused and tightly written.
    Some revelations emerge, reversals and plot hiccups are held back, and the characters aren't as fixed as they seem. Eddie Marsan's buttoned-down villain has a hidden desperation that gets worse; Martin Compston's sidekick wavers between empathy and steely callousness; and Arterton's tied-to-a-bed, forced-to-pee-in-a-bottle heiress build up righteous rage which can't end happily.
  • LWOODS04
    January 8, 2011
    LWOODS04
    Cast: Gemma Arterton, Martin Compston, Eddie Marsan

    Director: J Blakeson

    Summary: Thinking they've cooked up the perfect crime, Vic (Eddie Marsan) and Danny (Martin Compston) abduct young heiress Alice Creed (Gemma Arterton), only to find their surefire plan unraveling as... read more they attempt to negotiate a tidy ransom in director J Blakeson twisty thriller. As the steely Alice lies tethered to a bed, an escalating battle of wills -- and wits -- ensues when setbacks shift the balance of power.

    My Thoughts: "The reason I liked this movie so much was because it all depended on the acting. Just three actors, a room, and nothing else. Great suspense thriller. There were a few twists and a few surprises. The film is pretty intense at times. Great job by these three actors. They did a great job at keeping me intrigued the entire film. I found the ending satisfying as well. A great British thriller."
  • Alireza64ir
    December 13, 2010
    Alireza64ir
    This british movie without relying on famous actors,several locations or visual effects is a satisfying thriller.It mostly because of its good screenplay,never bores us and always has something to show.

View All The Disappearance of Alice Creed Reviews

Critic Reviews

Mark Feeney
September 16, 2010
Mark Feeney, Boston Globe

The Disappearance of Alice Creed begins with a van being stolen and ends with a different stolen vehicle being driven away. In between comes a tight, efficient thriller with just three actors and at l... Full Review

James Berardinelli
September 9, 2010
James Berardinelli, ReelViews

It's refreshing to see someone putting the needs of the part over her image, and this is far from a halfhearted performance. It's gritty and gutsy. Full Review

Stephen Cole
August 13, 2010
Stephen Cole, Globe and Mail

And unlike many filmmakers who make movies to take pictures, Blakeson is interested in his players. His three principals deliver convincingly messy, ambiguous performances. Full Review

Bruce Demara
August 13, 2010
Bruce Demara, Toronto Star

Like all top-notch best thrillers, The Disappearance of Alice Creed is a suspense-filled caper flick with enough twists and turns to leave the audience gasping and guessing until its final moments. Full Review

Peter Rainer
August 13, 2010
Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor

It wants to be a movie about the intersection between criminality and the class system but, for that, it could have used a bit more class. Full Review

Rex Reed
August 11, 2010
Rex Reed, New York Observer

A pulsating revelation on many levels at once. Full Review

Michael Phillips
August 10, 2010
Michael Phillips, At the Movies

It's just a cheap thriller. Full Review

A.O. Scott
August 10, 2010
A.O. Scott, At the Movies

Worthless. Full Review

Ian Buckwalter
August 6, 2010
Ian Buckwalter, NPR

A skilled cast is Blakeson's greatest asset in his attempt to elevate his material above its pulpy limitations. All three are better actors than this sort of movie might call for. Full Review

Mike Hale
August 6, 2010
Mike Hale, New York Times

Will keep your attention, but you may walk away thinking you've seen something like it before. Full Review

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