This one had me scratching my head. It is an Asylum film, but didn't have the usual screw ups. It seemed like a Lifetime film then I found out this was a made for TV movie called "Layover." However using a picture of a pretty girl in a cage and calling it "Abduction" appeals to my perv factor, and that is what makes money.Suzanne Hollingsworth (Lauren Holly) is a rich luxury hotel owner is forced to stay in Detroit, a city she loathes. She happens to be in a room next to the proverbial Russian sex traders who abduct her. Rebecca (Kaylee DeFer), Suzanne's thrice fired kickboxing assistant springs into action. Add a few more girls to the mix, water down the story for TV, apply the abduction formula and presto you have a mediocre film where Lauren Holly visibly struggles with the poorly written role.Could we add a gay gut to this too? They are so in vogue. Maybe we could trash Detroit some more too. In a good way, it is better than most of Asylum films, but then that is not why we watch them.Parental Guide: No f-bombs, sex, or nudity. Rated TV-14 for topical material. They could have at least had one of the girls in a cheerleader outfit. What did I do with my D.E.B.S. DVD

****SPOILERS*** Bitchy and pain in the butt real estate tycoon Suzanne Hollingworth, Lauren Holly, ends up getting kidnapped out of her hotel room after making a stink about the noise next door that two Russian slave traffickers Vald, Chris Wolfe, and his partner Oscar played by Charles Bronson look alike- without his famous mustache-Massi Furlan are making. It was Suzanne's misfortune to get stuck in Detroit, that she calls the armpit of America, when her plane was forced to land there due to bad weather.It turns out that both Vald & Oscar are running a beauty contest back in Russia that a number of young women are to be entered in who don't realize that there to be sold into lifetime of slavery by them.It's Suzanne's loyal and abused assistant Rebecca White, Kaylee Defer, who's been fired by her for the umpteen time who tries to get the local police and FBI to locate her former boss before she ends up in her mid thirties as a slave girl for an Arab sheik or Russian business tycoon or even dead if no one what's to buy her for her sexual services. It takes a while for Suzanne to convince the girls to realize that they are being sold into slavery not participated in a beauty contest. But the rub****SPOILER*** in all that is that both Vald & Oscar's boss is really one of the girls or beauty contestants who's undercover and knowing every move that Suzanne is making!****SPOILERS**** Exciting final with the totally uninterested in the little man or woman Suzanne risking her life for the bunch of not very smart girls in taking on the Russian with the both local police and FBI coming to her and the girls rescue when hope was just about gone. As for Suzanne she finally got a does of humanity in her dealing one on one with the lower class, like her fired assistant Rebecca, in what she went through in the movie in knowing that money & power doesn't make one a better person for them just having it.

This should be the type of movie you can get drunk and laugh at, but the acting is even too poor for that--so poor it's actually embarrassing and uncomfortable to watch. Wasted a full bottle of wine on this. The plot is thin and really absurd. It goes beyond the realm of suspending disbelief. Even for a made for TV movie it was just awful. It starts out quite boringly, and the "climax"--if you can call it that with a straight face--was just preposterous. I don't want to delve for those of you who might prefer to watch it, don't want to be a plot spoiler. But if you do watch it prepare to be disappointed and perhaps uncomfortable. It's kind of like watching a drunk, recently dumped chic make a complete fool of themselves at a party begging everyone for attention--you just feel embarrassed on their behalf.

The idea for Abducted aka Layover intrigued me and I like thrillers. I was dubious though because it was from The Asylum, who have a notoriety for bad movies. But I am glad I saw Layover because while not a great movie it was a good one. Maybe the pace could have been tighter,for me some of the middle dragged a little. The dialogue, while leagues above the dialogue for many other Asylum movies having some tension and focus, could have done with being less cheesy and predictable in places. And the movie did stretch believability a bit, not as frequently or blatantly as other Asylum efforts, but I just couldn't buy somebody being rewarded when their conduct was so incompetent. Layover does look good though, the settings and lighting are more accomplished and the camera work and editing better placed and smoother. The music and sound effects are well suited to the atmosphere without being too obtrusive or obvious. The story is not much new and but not too predictable or derivative, overall it is gripping with a suspenseful atmosphere and a fun twist. The characters didn't annoy me and served a purpose, while the direction is solid enough. And Layover is easily the best-acted Asylum movie to date and that is saying a lot. Lauren Holly is a strong lead and Kaylee DeFer is charismatic and has some great comedic chops. Joe Lando is good too if deserving of a bigger role. Overall, a surprisingly good movie. 7/10 Bethany Cox