What It's About:

After slaying employees at a pharmaceutical company during a violent heist, a group of violent criminals force a station wagon with three passengers to take them to safety. Two of the thugs (George Eastman and Don Backy) taunt frightened hostage Maria (Lander) with sexual come-ons and brutish demands, while driver Riccardo (Cucciolla), who’s desperate to get his feverish, unconscious son to a hospital, deals with leader Dottore (Maurice Poli).

Why I Love It:

Bava’s nihilistic auto horror-thriller “Kidnapped,” filmed in 1974 but locked up until 1998, is not for the faint of heart, but it is, quite literally, one hell of a ride. Filmed mostly in the hot, claustrophobic confines of the getaway car, “Kidnapped” builds suspensefully on the unpredictable actions of its gleefully cruel, knife-wielding head cases, whose aberrant tempers erupt under pressure. If that weren’t enough, Bava plays with our sympathies throughout the ordeal, then adds a twist ending guaranteed to pierce your heart.