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"Tell him that he must pay the money, that he must do exactly as we ask or we will kill you. You tell him that you have no doubt that we will kill you."

The Disappearance of Alice Creed is a brutal little thriller about a woman who gets kidnapped by two men, who plan to use her to ransom £2 million from her wealthy father. The kidnapping itself goes flawlessly, and once she's securely locked up, there seems to be little that can go wrong to keep the men from getting the money. But, that wouldn't make for a very interesting movie, would it? Things go wrong, and the best-made plan can still end up being a disaster. 

I was somewhat expecting The Disappearance of Alice Creed to be your standard kidnap and escape kind of movie, but I have to give it credit for throwing enough wrinkles in to make itself somewhat unique. The relationships between the two kidnappers and the title character end up being more complex than they initially seemed, and cracks of distrust turn the initially well-executed plan into a situation that perhaps no one will survive.  

There's a strong current of tension that starts with the dialogue-free beginning and continues all the way to the very end. That's pretty impressive, in my opinion, and I hasn't seen many movies lately that keep things that taut for the entire time. In addition to the story, the acting was solid, as well. When a movie really only involves three actors (Gemma Arterton, Martin Compston, and Eddie Marsan), one weak link could ruin it. Thankfully, that's not the case, here.  

Still, I'm not the greatest fan in the world of these kinds of movies, so even a good one like this (and it is good) has a hard time blowing me away. If you're a genre fan, though, I think you'll be pleased.

This is a fine example of what can be done with a small budget but a decent script and some good actors.

The cast is precisely three and rarely can a film have ever been made that has the entire screen time taken up by so few people. This makes the film quite claustrophobic which is a pretty effective technique given the plot. The films does build up a nice degree of tension and whilst the plot is simple there are plenty of genuine surprises along the way although a stronger ending would have made this an even better film.

All three actors are very good but particularly impressive is Eddie Marsan as the older of the two kidnappers who is genuinely menacing.

This is a raw and at times violent film but well worth a watch if you are looking for something just a bit different.

This film to me personally was a little bit of a surprise to say the least, I was recommended the film by a friend, who said to me its worth watching, and as a film critic, I put aside some time to give it a viewing.

I was not disappointed either, with the film starting out somewhat a little confusing, and uncomfortable at first, it soon dawns upon you that this is no ordinary kidnapping. I won't release any spoilers here, but will advise you to watch the film with an open mind, and frame of mind as there are some surprises that even I didn't see coming.

The plot thickens, and the film has you guessing along the way which to me is what film making is all about. Watch it, and enjoy, I'm sure you will know the actor who plays Vic, he is an underestimated actor, who shines in this film.!

THE DISAPPEARANCE OF ALICE CREED is a three-hander that sees spoilt rich kid Gemma Arterton kidnapped by a couple of goons and tied to a bed while they demand a ransom from her father. That's the entirety of the plot; of course, it's little to sustain a ninety-minute running time with that alone, so the scriptwriter has to come up with twist upon twist to keep the viewer guessing as the running time progresses.

I was in two minds about this film. It's superficially entertaining to be sure, with lots of drama and attempts at tension, and the suspense bubbles along quite nicely as the tale progresses. But there are serious flaws along the way too, not least the entire lack of a sympathetic character.

Arterton is the obvious choice as somebody to root for, but her limited acting abilities combined with a rather obnoxious character mean that the viewer won't really care whether she escapes or even survives the ordeal. Note to scriptwriter: merely having somebody kidnapped isn't reason enough for a viewer to get behind them. As for the other two cast members, Eddie Marsan is a seasoned professional as ever, but Martin Compston is a little bland and whiny and gets way too much screen time.

THE DISAPPEARANCE OF ALICE CREED does well to avoid falling into clichéd territory - there's no torture, for instance, which would have been an obvious inclusion these days - but once you know the storyline it doesn't really have much in the way of rewatch value. I liked it well enough the first time around, though.

Two British men kidnap the daughter of a rich man and hold her prisoner while negotiating a ransom. It's tightly constructed and the suspense builds amid the changing dynamics of the relationship among the three characters. What keeps it from being a good film, however, is the stupidity of the characters, particularly Alice, the victim, who squanders opportunities to escape because of her idiotic actions. Of course, in these kinds of films, such behavior is used primarily to propel the plot, otherwise the story would end too quickly. Still, it's an impressive feature film debut for writer-director Blakeson and is worth a look.

A terrifically enjoyable film from debut writer-director J Blakeson. Apparently working to a tiny budget, he's proved that he has an incredible understanding of what makes a thriller film work.

There are three excellent performances (lucky, as with only three actors this needed to be the case), particularly Gemma Arterton as Alice Creed, who uses her wits and womanly wiles to make a stand against her tormentors, Vic and Danny.

Much has been made of the plot twists - but I still didn't see them coming at all! I thought they were ample to keep you guessing right to the last, and I kept changing my mind as to how I thought things would turn out.

I kept reading "taut, claustrophobic and very well put together" when I was researching this film, and I have to say it delivered on all counts. Excellent.

A taut tight British thriller is always a good watch, and this flick is no different. I will constantly appreciate an actor taking on a role that differs from their previous credits. Arterton did just that as a kidnapped individual who is sealed in a claustrophobic room by two masked men who utilise her as ransom for two million pounds. Hostage, kidnap, ransom, all saturated elements to similar thrillers that rely on unpredictable intense twists to spice up the narrative. Alice Creed is no different, in fact it is so unpredictable that it in itself becomes predictable. Sounds odd right? Let me clarify. Every fifteen minutes there is a twist, could range from a small detail to a large plot device, that attempts to convolute the plot even further. With only three characters on screen, the bonds and relationships between them start to become distorted as the narrative progresses. This is due to the twists. Problem is, when the first few are unpredictable you start to predict what happens next by automatically imagining the most illogical turn within the plot. Thus, the unpredictable becomes predictable. Double crossing, relationship reveals and greed all play a fundamental part to these twisty turns. I admire the ambition and the Hitchcockian style, and for the most part it's a successful low budget thriller. Arterton was excellent, Marsan was electrifying and Compston was well controlled. Blakeson's directing technique, particularly the opening sequence, was substantially gritty and held an evocative sense of realism to the scenario. The characters themselves were functional, however weren't truly worth investing in. They play integral parts, but due to the lack of supporting characters and the short runtime they are only a means to further the plot. Nothing more, which is a shame. The third act does also lose the carefully constructed momentum. It's certainly a watchable thriller with many good aspects, particularly Arterton, but it bites off more than it can chew.

'The Disappearance of Alice Creed' is possibly the best British film of the year. It's a three-hander so the film could of gone one way or the other, the right way or the wrong way. Thankfully it went the right way. The script and direction is tight and the films twists are very surprising. The audience in the cinema gasped at one scene in particular which you won't see coming at all. I certainly didn't. The film is helped of course by stunning performances from all three actors. Martin Compston from Ken Loach's Sweet Sixteen plays Danny, the younger, twitchier of the two kidnappers who isn't as sweet as he seems. Eddie Marsan as Vic, the older, vicious and intelligent kidnapper. And Gemma Arterton who plays Alice, the spoilt, rich girl in the centre of all the commotion. Those who didn't manage to catch 'Alice Creed' at cinemas missed out. I recommend it to anyone in search of a lean, tight thriller with excellent performances. ****/*****

But I didn't expect a good, tense film to break out. I figured this would just be some trash straight to DVD film, that I just skim through, laugh at the ridiculous stuff, see Gemma and call it a day.

But right from the opening shot it was a lot better than I thought it'd be. It was tense and menacing and all without a word being spoken. It didn't get as ugly as I was afraid it would from the opening, but it got a lot more interesting. I kept thinking I knew what type of story they were telling and they kept surprising me.

All 3 gave great performances, and I liked that it was only the 3 of them the whole time. Well written, well shot, well acted and I liked the ending...especially with the clever credit. It's much better than the sum of Gemma's bits, and that's saying a lot.

STAR RATING: ***** Saturday Night **** Friday Night *** Friday Morning ** Sunday Night * Monday Morning

Recently released from prison, convicts Vic (Eddie Marsan) and Danny (Martin Compston) meticulously plot and execute the kidnap of the titular Alice Creed (Gemma Anderton) a young woman with a rich father. Having filmed the ransom demand, everything seems to be running smoothly, until Alice turns the tables on them, after which various twists and turns and sneaky revelations come to light that set the plan down a very different and more deadly path than anyone planned.

Opening entirely in silence, with the main characters going about doing and getting what they'll need for their crime, TDOAC certainly opens with a decent sense of atmosphere and impending terror. And it all runs fairly smoothly, until Alice (ridiculously!) turns the tables on her captors, after which the film descends into such a big sea of it's own preposterousness and incredibilty that it loses any sense of tension and impact that it started with. The performances can't be faulted, Marsan delivering another firm, solid turn as the domineering lead villain, and Anderton showing her talents as an actress, portraying an initially scared, vulnerable prey who grows to let out a righteous sense of anger and feistiness to survive. It's just a shame their efforts are wasted in such misfiring, off shot fare as this. **

The Disappearance of Alice Creed is a low budget three hander filmed in the Isle of Man.

The early scenes are Vic (Eddie Marsan) and Danny (Martin Compston) kidnapping Alice (Gemma Arterton) who is bound and gagged in a bed after being stripped naked.

You can sense the economy in the filming as there is no dialogue for the first few minutes in the film.

Alice's predicament is harrowing, not only is she is restraints, she has to pee in a bottle and get fed by her captors. Alice's father is rich and the bad guys demand a high ransom.

Writer/Director J Blakeson has a few tricks up his sleep by adding layers to the story and wrong foots our expectations. The relationship between everyone concerned is actually more complex adding twists to the narrative.

Eddie Marsan plays the alpha male here, he is cunning, ruthless and knows what he wants. Compston is the follower but unnerving in his own right. It is Arterton, who became known in a James Bond film as a bit of eye candy who gives it her all in this low budget drama, stripped naked, make up running down her eyes, she conveys fear convincingly in the face of menace.

In the mould of Shallow Grave, The Disappearance of Alice Creed turns parsimony to its advantage. Only three characters inhabit three locations, but it is skillfully utilized towards building a taut, twisting, economical thriller about a kidnapping gone awry.

Vic and Danny meticulously plan the kidnapping of rich girl Alice Creed. In a wonderful opening, devoid of dialogue, that is a masterclass in mise-en-scene, the two criminals construct their prison in preparation for the abduction.

Once Alice is safely in the custody, the focus is on the complex relationships between the characters. The film does flag slightly at this point, as Vic snarls at Danny in three set ups one after the other. Although this pays off later, a variation in tone here would have been welcome. After that, revelation follows revelation, some more telegraphed than others, so that the film does not quite achieve the heights it aims for. Still, there is enough going on beneath the surface to keep you intrigued, and all of it paced fairly plausibly. Gemma Arterton convinces, while Eddie Marston is his usual unnerving self. Martin Compston takes a while to warm to, but builds the character into the most charismatic and chilling of the three.

All in all, a worthwhile thriller that hints at better to come from writer/director Blakeson.

Extremely tense, beautifully shot, generally well (if not quite brilliantly) acted, this is a clever and effective exercise on making an exciting film on a tiny budget. Even though about 75% of this kidnapping tale takes place in a two room apartment, director/writer Blakeson finds enough effective and compelling ways to photograph his tiny set, and enough sharp plot twists and reveals that any claustrophobia becomes a plus not a problem.

There are a few times when credulity is stretched, and a few plot turns that have that sense of being a 'clever twist' instead of something organic to the characters or the story (you can feel them as they're where the acting is less strong, you can see the actors strain to make them 'work'), but neither shortcoming is enough to keep this from being a highly entertaining, and even ultimately oddly touching nail-biter.

Alice Creed dragged by two masked men in a van, then placed in a room with padded walls and tied to a bed with handcuffs. The kidnappers are after a big ransom, which they expect from her father. But things do not go quite as planned, and soon the victim finds that one of the two criminals is not unknown. It starts a big confusion with an uncertain outcome.

Casually, the story takes us through simple but devilishly effective twists to heights of suspense, downplaying the role of each of the three protagonists, in turn changing role. The terms "victim", "hangman" and "accomplice" here are undermined, leaving the audience stunned by the last surprise. Always remaining credible, despite a story about the razor's edge, it almost closed (the action is limited to a room, a kitchen, a shed and wood), owes much to the quality of the interpretation of the three actors.

Some scenes really stand on their toes and the director even manages to make the audience laugh, despite a rather dramatic base.

The psychology of the characters is fairly extensive, leaving us in the most total about the real intentions of each question. The interpretation of these is rather successful, despite a few details that it's hard to believe. But the director and maybe wanted to highlight the strangeness of the atmosphere of the film: an oppressive atmosphere, in perfect agreement with the narrow apartment where the two men have taken up residence. The film also plays a lot of silence, further increasing the pressure.

However, it is too much pressure we can criticize the film. The story seems to get bogged down, and because of the pace is a bit too slow, you wonder if the director really knows where he is going ... The atmosphere may sometimes literally crush the viewer. And even if this is deliberate on the part of Blakeson, we left with the impression that he may have wanted to make a little too ... Result: a few wrong notes, but an effective thriller throughout.

7.3/10