“The Stolen” is a women-focused movie that takes place in 1870s New Zealand, a time when being a single woman was extremely difficult and unpleasant. The movie centers on Charlotte Lockton (Alice Eve), who has made her home on the North Island and is leading a lavish lifestyle there with her affluent husband David.
When David is murdered by a group of robbers who also abducted their infant son, their lives are abruptly turned upside down. Charlotte is left powerless and distraught with no one to turn to and no time for mourning, but she decides to leave her opulent farmhouse and begin her search for her son by following a ransom note.
As she sets out on her voyage through an uncharted and uninhabited land, she encounters a wide range of characters, from suffragists to gamblers, settlers to hustlers, outlaws to a Maori warrior, all of whom are attempting to establish themselves in this emerging civilization.
Charlotte’s quest for her son forces her to join a group of dancers, hookers, and hustlers and head for Goldtown – mostly settled by a mining community. Going by the nature of society and her association with people in a brothel, she learns the tricks to defend herself and survive in a male-dominated society.
“The Stolen” is a female-oriented film but the way the plot is handled ultimately falls short of expectations. I find it amusing that the creators didn’t go deeply into the characters, when there was clearly room for it, like Charlotte’s relationship with the dancers or her interactions with other amiable people.
The film doesn’t really try to delve deeper or provide more light on societal concerns, even though it attempts to depict the hardship of women during that time period. Every character and circumstance serves merely as a guide for discovering the truth about Charlotte’s son’s absence. On the plus side, though, the film’s cinematography was excellent and well complimented the mystery elements.
Watch “The Stolen” Movie Trailer
Genres: Action, Adventure, Drama
Starring: Alice Eve, Jack Davenport, Richard O’Brien, Graham McTavish, and Stan Walker
Directed by: Niall Johnson
Release Date: November 3rd, 2017
Where to watch The Stolen (2017)
