Stolen from the Suburbs

Here we go again, cliche' after cliche' and again I ask myself, "Why do they keep making these HT films. This one, is really done with a Z grade style, whuch I actually admire, if that makes any sense. The disjointed and sloppy film, which has some implausible and such pathetic moments, spells amateur. Again, this is one HT film, you'll be rolling your eyes with. Hot teen, hotter when, almost buff, Sweeny is tricked, fooled by a nice looking youth (cliche) who happens to be an asthmatic, who costs her her freedom, when she's kidnapped, by heartless, sex slavers. Sweeney's girlfriend, also hottie material-aren't they all, also falls prey, coaxed into a relationship by an older guy, not boy (Can you add up the dots so far). Then there's the particular evil burnt out madam (an unrecognizable D'abo) who must of gone to the same place as Daryl Hannah, for face libosuction. Her words are cruel and curt, to her new caged, fresh stable of pretties (cliche). Apart from a familar Drew Carey show face as Sweeney's mother, D'abo is the best actor in this. Suburbs is a particularly nasty, if repellent HT film, especially up towards it's end. A few things are wrong here, like In the photo still scene, where the girls are all brought out, tied to each other (good thinking 99, and an impressive tactic) if for one girl, untied, making a failing attempt to run for it, and guess who.... but back to the things out of place, why would they have one girl, hugely overweight in their stable, and with a few other HT films, it's one question, I've always asked myself. Amateur moment. Also shaming the Pink Motel, in this dredgy fiction, using it as trick pad- would traffickers get away with it, at this iconic motel? A rescuing scene here-cliche. Now the buggest hiccup which really angered me in this potential trash, was the scene with Sweeney's mum, and that young pretty woman advocate, who had a horrofying story, herself as once a victim. What she was saying, when at the computer with the mother (cliche) about the cop's attitudes, and statistics, I couldn't swallow, as I did, other stuff in the movie. And why was D'abo, an ex human trafficking victim herself, so fascinatingly evil, Entertaining and nastily shocking, this movie is. Excellent, well acted, forget it.

Sex trafficking is a pressing matter all around the world, but especially in the south of USA. California is one of the main hub of the nation for trafficking of underage sex slaves, both boys and girls, and the issues usually doesn't receive the right kind of attention the authorities.

So if this film can serve as a means to raise the awarness of people, it does a good job. The cast is decent and the portrayal of a mother in search of her kidnapped daughter is quite moving. Even the bad guys do justice to their nefarious roles. So overall a decent product.

Last but not the least, Stolen from the Suburbs (aka Stolen from Suburbia) shows once more what a bright future awaits Sydney Sweeney: even in her early days she did complex and tough movies, nothing superficial. So you don't wanna underestimate her.

This was bad. Bad enough to make me create an account and write my first review on here. The story line was interesting enough to get me to watch it but the scripting and acting is just bad. Some of the lines are just so lazy and cheesy. The facts Anna is giving sound very inaccurate and a lot of the female actresses look too alike. Anna and Katherine look like sisters and the bad lady looks like she could be their cousin. This movie was missing "color" and real emotion. I really don't understand the great reviews on here.

Another Sunday.

Another Lifetime woman-in-jeopardy film.

But this one is two steps above your average Lifetime thriller.

The hot button subject matter is sex trafficking but writer/director Alex Wright tells a compelling story without falling into exploitation on one side and preaching on the other side.

The primarily female cast is good. Sydney Sweeney, a grizzled veteran ingénue, is compelling as the daughter. Brooke Nevin is suitably driven as the investigator.

Cynthia Watros has done light comedy well (Drew Carey Show), performed melodrama (Lost) as well as any actor could follow that plot, and can now add thriller lead to her list of actress skills. Her character was intense and fearless as the mother.

Olivia d'Abo having sparred with Inspector Goren on many an episode of "Law and Order: Criminal Intent" gives a different, more chilling, level of evil as the bad guy. As close to full-blown Alan Rickman as you are going to get in a Lifetime thriller.

Give us more like this.

In the sunny suburbs of California, young teenagers are routinely rounded-up and sold as sex slaves. Unaware of the problem, wealthy single mom Cynthia Watros (as Katherine) moves from Wisconsin into the danger zone, with her blonde and beautifully-figured 16-year-old daughter Sydney Sweeney (as Emma Hudson). Handsome young men arouse Ms. Sweeney's interests, but mom gets mad when she won't bring them home for closer inspection. Grounded and defiant, Sweeney sneaks out of the house to make time with asthmatically cute Nick Roux (as Adam). Next thing you know, she is "Stolen from the Suburbs" to be sold as a sex slave. Victims' specialist Brooke Nevin (as Anna Fray) and Ms. Watros join forces to search for Sweeney...

"If you want to find Emma, you're going to have to do it yourself," advises Ms. Nevin...

This is a very serious topic, and several of the performers try to give it a serious reading. Unfortunately, this TV movie production treats the subject most predominantly as escapist entertainment, with a touch of repulsion. In that regard, writer/director Alex Wright is successful. You do want to see the fenced-in, tied-up, and bikini-clad young women released before the closing credits. As the young girls' sex-trafficking mistress, tightly-attired Olivia d'Abo (as Melena) drives her unbelievable role over the cliff. The Lifetime TV channel adds a "public service announcement" about the child sex trade, but does not tell you their movie is ludicrous. For the record, the police and FBI are interested and you should tell them before going to any "Pink Motel".

***** Stolen from the Suburbs (2015-08-30) Alex Wright ~ Cynthia Watros, Sydney Sweeney, Brooke Nevin, Olivia d'Abo