SUNDANCE 2024: ‘Kidnapping Inc’ Offers Up Kinetic Misadventure

Kidnapping is a crisis in Haiti, and what better way to handle the topic than for Haitian filmmakers to make an action-comedy? Seriously though, comedy is an empathetic genre that, similar to horror, confronts cultural fears and situations. Directed and co-written by Bruno Mourral, Kidnapping Inc. offers up a chaotically interesting take on Haiti’s crisis with kinetic action in tow.

The film centers on friends Doc (Jasmuel Andri) and Zoe (Rolapthon Mercure), two hapless kidnappers who pick up a simple abduction for hire only to find out that it’s anything but. After a mistake kills their abductee, Doc and Zoe wind up in the middle of a political conspiracy to stop the next election (again).

Always irreverent and moving at a breakneck speed, the comedy of errors crafts a misadventure through the mean streets of Port-au-Prince that has no idea how to slow down. The film’s violence is both serious and hilarious, and it introduces a wide ensemble cast that paints Haiti’s corruption into what would be a buddy comedy in every other setting. Crooked cops, scheming politicians, and assassins all swirl around Doc and Zoe. However, the two never lose their charisma and maintain the film’s center.

Kidnapping Inc is energetic and hilarious. Comedy is the vehicle for tackling the very real political troubles in Haiti. Shot on location in Haiti, the film is technically impressive. The long chases through the narrow Port-au-Prince streets are dynamic. Martin Levent’s camerawork understands how to track his actors, use the streets as an action character, and always leans on humor in it all. The film is dynamic because of its action and the choices made to capture it. When you add in Olivier Alary’s score, the film hits fantastic action highs.

Kidnapping Inc.’s brand of irreverent humor tackles personal situations. It makes them spectacles for the audience and the people on the streets of Port-au-Prince. Doc and Zoe’s bumbling natures are both endearing and eye-roll-inducing, but both get you locked in as their errors cascade one after another, making a bad situation infinitely worse. No matter how dumb Doc and Zoe’s mistakes are, Jasmuel Andri, Gilbert Mirambeau Jr., and Mourell have written escalating situations that snowball in an increasingly loud and fun way. This keeps them from becoming annoying and locked in as entertaining.

Additionally, if you’re not a football fan or from a culture that loves the sport (or really just Real Madrid or Barcelona), there is sure to be a comedic disconnect. Though, for me, the football rivalries between the two characters were a gimmick that kept giving as the film went on.

A tight film with a solid runtime, the film doesn’t overstay its welcome. That said, when the film swerves too far into deep political conversations outside the focus of its action-comedy trapping, the tonal disconnect begins to rumble. It’s never for too long, as the filmmakers are clearly focused on getting the audience right back into the action. But it does jolt the pacing and comedic writing in a negative way. This is due to how quickly the reasons behind the kidnapping and the larger political scheme are all established right off the bat instead of gradually built on to build depth.

On the whole, though, Kidnapping Inc. is the type of off-color humor action movie that works perfectly for a Midnight film at a festival. With dynamic camerawork and leads that work excellently with each other, the film will surely excite many action fans regardless of its hiccups.

Kidnapping Inc. screened at Sundance 2024 and is looking for distribution.