★★½☆☆
The Kidnapping of Arabella is witty, sly, and has its moments. Yet the film never fully captures the essence of its characters or finds the pulse of its own narrative.
“The Kidnapping of Arabella is witty, sly, and has its moments. Yet the film never fully captures the essence of its characters or finds the pulse of its own narrative.”
Carolina Cavalli pens the script and directs, crafting a film that appears to be aiming for the space between crime story and dark comedy.
The film tackles child kidnapping, mental illness, and the complications that arise when a child is simply too observant and too witty for their own good.
While there are funny and genuinely clever moments throughout, the film never quite lands. Not because of the subject matter, but because of its execution.
The central kidnapping is ultimately reduced to Arabella being upset that her father refused to stop and get her tacos. In response, she wanders off and stumbles upon a troubled woman whom she convinces herself is a younger version of herself in need of help.
What follows is a journey that some may call self-discovery, though the film never fully develops the emotional weight necessary to make that journey resonate.
Lorenzo Levrini’s cinematography has its weak moments from the opening scenes and never truly finds its purpose.
The imagery rarely feels crisp or connected to a larger visual idea. There is little sense that the camera placement is being used to deepen the story, reveal character, or reinforce the film’s themes. Instead, the visual approach often feels loose and lacking a clear perspective.
“The imagery rarely feels crisp or connected to a larger visual idea. Instead, the visual approach often feels loose and lacking a clear perspective.”
Meanwhile, Thomas Moked Blum and Noaz Deshe’s score shows greater intention. The music blends naturally into the film and accompanies the story effectively, even if it rarely elevates the material beyond what is already on screen.
Cavalli’s vision for what the film wants to be never feels fully realized. There are noticeable pacing and tonal issues, and the uncertainty surrounding the film’s identity often bleeds into other aspects of the production.
The performances, however, are what ultimately carry the film across the finish line.
Benedetta Porcaroli, who plays Holly, and Lucrezia Guglielmino, who plays Arabella, are both fantastic.
Porcaroli is given the more layered role, portraying a woman whose mental state is clearly fractured. Rather than leaning into broad characterization, she keeps the performance restrained and close to the chest. It is a choice that creates intrigue and gives Guglielmino plenty to play against.
Guglielmino, meanwhile, takes the familiar archetype of the overly witty and brazen child and approaches it from a fresh angle.
Rather than following in the footsteps of Macaulay Culkin in Home Alone or Michael Oliver in Problem Child, she creates a version of the character that feels uniquely her own.
“Guglielmino creates a version of the overly witty child that feels uniquely her own, often seeming more aware of the world than the adults around her.”
She portrays Arabella as a child who appears to have everything figured out, often more than the adults surrounding her.
In the end, The Kidnapping of Arabella never quite lands the way it intends. Despite a pair of strong performances and flashes of wit, the film struggles with pacing, tonal inconsistency, and a lack of meaningful character development. What should be an emotionally complex journey ultimately feels underdeveloped, leaving the film unable to capitalize on the potential of its premise.
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