Kidnapping Stella
Film poster
Directed byThomas Sieben
Written byThomas Sieben
Based onThe Disappearance
of Alice Creed
2009 film
by J Blakeson
StarringClemens Schick
Jella Haase
Max von der Groeben
Distributed byNetflix
Release date
  • July 12, 2019 (2019-07-12)
Running time
89 minutes
CountryGermany
LanguageGerman

Kidnapping Stella is a 2019 German thriller film directed and written by Thomas Sieben, and is a remake of the 2009 British thriller The Disappearance of Alice Creed. The plot revolves around two men, Vic (Clemens Schick) and Tom (Max von der Groeben), who kidnap Stella (Jella Haase), and shows how she tries to escape the clutches of her two masked kidnappers.[1][2][3][4]

The film was released on Netflix on July 12, 2019.

Plot

Two former convicts named Vic (Clemens Schick) and Tom (Max von der Groeben) kidnap Stella (Jella Haase), the estranged daughter of a wealthy businessman, as part of a get-rich scheme.

The men take Stella to a run-down flat, in which they have previously soundproofed a room. They strip off her clothes and dress her in a tracksuit, blindfold and gag her, and tie her to a bed. To conceal their identities, Vic and Tom wear masks when interacting with Stella.

It is later revealed that Tom was Stella’s lover and that she is four months pregnant with their child.

Stella’s father initially refuses to pay her ransom. Tom becomes disillusioned with the plan after Vic threatens to cut off one of Stella's fingers, during a video broadcast intended to convince her father to hand over the money.

Stella discovers that Tom is one of her kidnappers. During an escape attempt, she fires a pistol and manages to obtain one of their cellphones. Stella tries to call the police but is subdued by Tom, who is increasingly guilt-ridden about hurting his former girlfriend.

Vic learns from Stella about Tom's failure to prevent her escape attempt. Under the pretext of collecting ransom from Stella's father, Vic lures Tom into a trap in the forest. Tom is wounded during a shootout but manages to escape.

Vic later collects the ransom but decides to kill Stella at their second hiding place, a boathouse, where the men have left her chained up. However, Tom returns in time to kill Vic, and pass the keys to Stella, enabling her to release herself.

As Tom lies dying, Stella gets into the men’s car, which is parked near the boathouse. In the passenger seat is the bag containing the ransom money. Stella drives off with the money, to start a wealthy new life with her expected baby.

Cast

Release

It was released on July 12, 2019 on Netflix streaming.[5] According to Netflix, over 18 million accounts watched Kidnapping Stella within the first week of release.[6]

Home media

This released on DVD & Blu-ray on TBA by Studio Distribution Services.

Reception

Nafees Ahmed of the website "High on Films" awarded the film three out of five stars. While finding the story unimaginative and predictable, Ahmed praised Kidnapping Stella for focusing on the organic character development between Tom and Stella while taking fault with the underdevelopment of Vic's character.[7]

References

  1. ↑ "KIDNAPPING STELLA". German Films Quarterly. Retrieved June 28, 2019.
  2. ↑ "Stream It Or Skip It: 'Kidnapping Stella' on Netflix, a Minimalist German Remake of a 2009 Minimalist British Thriller". Decider. 12 July 2019. Retrieved July 14, 2019.
  3. ↑ "Kidnapping Stella Review: An Overly Faithful Remake That Does Nothing To Stand Out". Ready Steady Cut. 12 July 2019. Retrieved July 14, 2019.
  4. ↑ "Kidnapping Stella (2019) – Movie Review". Cinecelluloid. 14 July 2019. Retrieved July 14, 2019.
  5. ↑ Kidnapping Stella. Netflix.
  6. ↑ "Every Viewing Statistic Netflix Has Released So Far (November 2019)". What's on Netflix. November 7, 2019.
  7. ↑ "'KIDNAPPING STELLA' NETFLIX REVIEW [2019]- UNIMAGINATIVE BUT THRILLING KIDNAPPING DRAMA". High On Films. 12 July 2019. Retrieved April 4, 2020.
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