Kidnapped in Romania (2016)

Just when you thought the “victimized in Eastern Europe” storyline was played out, Kidnapped in Romania (2016) comes along to prove you wrong. Breathing new life into the genre, this movie follows two investigative journalists as they travel to Romania. But what starts out as a promising work assignment is soon foiled when their car breaks down on a back road in a rural town. As you can guess, bad things happen in Eastern Europe, and the only people around to save our journalists are themselves. Under the direction of Carlo Fusco (who co-wrote the screenplay with Filippo Santaniello), this drama features American stars Michael (Reservoir Dogs) Madsen and Paul (Goodfellas) Sorvino as well as international performers including Abraam Fontana, Andrea Stefancikova, Goûchy Boy, and Maia Morgenstern. While Goûchy and Mr. Madsen appeared together in the comedy Let The Game Begin (2008), their work here is far more serious. Even though things look bleak for the characters on screen, you may enjoy a happy ending when exotic hotties Dragomire (Yoon C. Joyce) and Vasile (Eebra Tooré) receive a whipping on their bare booties 52 minutes into the movie. Not to be confused with the American pic Date with a Kidnapper (1976) or the French flick The Kidnapping of Michel Houellebecq (2014), Kidnapped in Romania was shot in Piatra Neamt and Neamt County. As such, it features dialogue in English and Romanian. However, whenever the actors shed their threads, there’s no need for translation. In other words, you can’t spell Romania without MAN!