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Art sadly imitates life as the long-awaited Haitian action-comedy Kidnapping Inc. finally hits the big screen four years after tragic events during filming. Director/co-writer Bruno Mourral satirizes the unceasing violence, poverty, and corruption that plagues the country. An opening card explains how Haiti came to its current predicament with a primer on pervasive social, economic, and racial inequities. Kidnapping hostages for ransom is a widespread problem. The film gets big laughs by mocking a terrifying and serious issue while illustrating the difficulties ordinary citizens face to survive.

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Kidnapping Inc.RComedyDramaThrillerInternational3/5Release DateFebruary 7, 2024Runtime107 MinutesCast

Gessica Généus

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ExpandCollapsePros & ConsSome laugh-out-loud slapstick antics throughout, bolstered by strong performances.An effective satire of the corruption and politics in Haiti, shining a light on grim realities.The narrative is overstuffed,...

A lengthy pre-title card sequence informs viewers of the political turmoil, poverty and racism that have plagued Haiti for decades, setting the stage for a kidnapping-gone-wrong plot among Haitian citizens from various economic backgrounds. This comes to us courtesy of award-winning commercial director Bruno Mourral, who makes his feature directorial debut with Kidnapping Inc.

Set in the days leading up to Haiti’s presidential election, Kidnapping Inc. follows Doc (Jasmuel Andri) and Zoe (Rolaphton Mercure), two Haitian criminals-for-hire who have just kidnapped Ben (Patrick Joseph), the son of presidential candidate Benjamin Perralt (Ashley Laraque). A wrench is thrown in their plan when they lose their kidnappee, and their desperation leads them to kidnap a lookalike and his pregnant wife (Gessica Geneus). Simultaneously, Ben’s wife Audrey (Anabel Lopez) and her lover Eddy (Marcus Boereau) attempt to secure the ransom money and get everything back to the status quo before election day arrives.

Political unrest, economic instability and rampant insecurity have plagued the Caribbean nation of Haiti for decades. That the small percentage of mixed-race (mulatto) population holds a disproportionate portion of the wealth and power over the 95% Black majority fuels the anger and distrust of the masses. That’s the harsh reality where Haitian-born director Bruno Mourral locates his brash and muddled crime comedy “Kidnapping Inc.”

Devoted fans of rival squads in the Spanish soccer league, Doc and Zoe (Rolapthon Mercure), have abducted the son of presidential candidate Benjamin Perralt (Ashley Laraque) just days before the 2017 election. We don’t know how many times, if any, they’ve done this before, but their ineptitude quickly becomes evident. The pair drives around Port-au-Prince, the country’s capital, with their victim’s dead body in the drunk after Zoe accidentally killed him. Their ridiculous solutions to this unfortunate incident only escalate the irritation of...