The Betrayed (2008)

User Rating:

5.6/10   

Director:

Amanda Gusack

Writer:

Amanda Gusack (writer)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Plot:

The story follows a young woman as she's put through a psychological journey under the thumb of a mysterious figure who suspects her husband of stealing millions from a crime syndicate. |

Plot Keywords:

Pool Of Blood | Stolen Money | Betrayal Of Husband | Computer Major | Encoded Message

Cast

Melissa George	...	Jamie
Oded Fehr	...	Alek (voice)
Christian Campbell	...	Kevin
Alice Krige	...	Falco
Connor Christopher Levins	...	Michael
Donald Adams	...	Shuffle / Rathe
Scott Heindl	...	Chase
Kevan Kase	...	Officer Gene
Andrew Wheeler	...	Officer Davis
Blaine Anderson	...	Officer Wild
Patrick Keating	...	Swiss
Phillip Mitchell	...	Young Henchman
Ken Tremblett	...	Hader
Douglas Chapman	...	Henchman

Also Known As:

Captive (USA) (working title)
Untitled Amanda Gusack Project (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

USA:98 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Quotes:

[first lines]
Officer Wild: This is officer 11653. Officer 11653, Philly PD, reporting motor vehicle accident. It's a late model sedan traveling south-bound.
dispatcher: Location?
Officer Wild: Approximately 6 miles off the Cranson back roads. Closest mile marker is 115. Looks like the vehicle was hit hard from the rear. On the approach I see severe back-end damage on the left-hand side. No second vehicle, possible hit and run
dispatcher: How many injured?
Officer Wild: Checking for victims now.
dispatcher: Awaiting response officer 11653, awaiting response. How many injured?
[...]

Keeps you captive for the entire time.

I am not familiar with any of director Amanda Gusack's other work but, after seeing this fantastic little thriller, I hope she gives us a few more decent movies in future because she deserves to get at least a little bit of notice.

Melissa George stars as the woman kidnapped and held captive after an engineered car crash that sees both her and her young son (a diabetic) in the clutches of some very bad men. Her son is being held in a separate room and his safety is tied to Melissa's character actually helping the baddies figure out where her husband has gone with a whole load of money that they claim he has ripped off of them. But is her husband capable of such a double life? Can she find out information that will keep her son safe? There is more to find out as the plot develops but it's never less than interesting.

What was so impressive about this little thriller is the way it began with it's basic concept and then didn't try to become anything else along the way. There are twists and turns tied into the plot line but at a time when every other little film like this would seem to morph into a sub-Saw movie or a Tarantino-esquire, smartass, blackly comic outing this film resolutely sticks to what it is: an enjoyable, lean thriller centred around a woman confused and scared who's only aim is to ensure the survival of her son.

Melissa George is excellent in the lead role but everyone does well with their screen time, including the likes of Oded Fehr, Donald Adams, Christian Campbell and the regal Alice Krige. As the film centres on the relationship between captive and captor it's almost a two-hander set in one place for the majority of the time but the movie never feels too stagey or limited with this, you're just far too busy being kept on the edge of your seat with tension and revelations in a little gem that is perfectly paced and well-executed.

See this if you like: Panic Room, Cohen & Tate, Taken.