10 Movies You Should Never Watch Alone
3. Kidnapped
This 2010 Spanish production may at a glance seem to be yet another bog standard home invasion horror, in the mould of The Strangers, You're Next and so on. However, it proves to be one of the most intense, suspenseful, gruelling films of its kind that you're ever likely to see.
On paper, Kidnapped (AKA Secuestrados) doesn't sound like much: a well-off family move into a very plush new modern house, only to find their first night interrupted by three brutal intruders in balaclavas, demanding money.
However, from this simple premise, director Miguel Ángel Vivas squeezes incredible levels of tension, thanks in no small part to the fact that he shoots in a succession of very long takes with very few noticeable cuts, not unlike Alfonso Cuarón or Alejandro G. Iñárritu. The film also utilises the often corny technique of split-screen in a surprisingly effective manner that truly amplifies the suspense.
Brilliantly shot and acted, Kidnapped is a film whose style and craftsmanship is equalled only by its unrelenting bleakness and nastiness. It's a tremendously impressive spectacle, even if you might never have any desire to see it a second time.
Miguel Ángel Vivas proved himself a dab hand at the home invasion horror format, which may explain why he was entrusted with the recent English language remake of notorious French shocker Inside.