Quartile rating: 6.5/10 · 1 rating
A family falls prey to the manipulative charms of a neighbor, who abducts their adolescent daughter. Twice.
Abducted in Plain Sight is a documentary whose central story is so staggeringly bizarre and hard to believe that it earns a high Plot score — the succession of manipulations, parental failures, and repeated abductions is genuinely jaw-dropping. The cinematography is standard true-crime documentary fare with talking heads and archival material, nothing distinctive. Acting is not really applicable in the traditional sense but the interview subjects range from compelling to awkward in their recollections. Novelty is moderate — it fits within the true-crime documentary boom but the sheer specificity and absurdity of this particular case gives it a memorable identity. The ending is serviceable, providing resolution without particular artfulness.