Abduct (PANIC) Twists Itself Over and Over

Title: Abduct

First Non-Festival Release: May 24, 2025 (Digital/Streaming Platforms)

Director: Chris Riggi

Writer: Ken Kirby, Chris Riggi

Runtime: 70 Minutes

Starring: Ken Kirby, Chris Riggi, Nicole Sun

Where to Watch: Check out where to find it here

This film’s review was written after its screening at the Panic Film Festival in 2025.

In life, loved ones change with the passing seasons. They may grow kinder, more fearful, reclusive, and even bolder. Even those who might change their appearance or come to terms with their gender identity, it’s rare for them to be truly unrecognizable outside of surgery. What if there was a way for them to change seemingly immutable characteristics?

Emma (Nicole Sun) and her boyfriend Chris (Chris Riggi) steal away to a remote desert home for a relaxing getaway. Once they arrive, they get settled in, enjoying the luxury of being so far away from their problems. One night, however, this changes when Chris disappears. The group’s concerted efforts to find him are complicated when a man (Ken Kirby) arrives at their home, naked, and claiming that he is, in fact, Chris and that he was abducted.

Psychological horror Abduct fails to make sense of its characters and twists.

A promising start shows the potential of an interesting sci-fi horror film within Abduct. Setting up its characters and premise in the first act, Abduct promises more than the typical alien abduction film. With Chris’s abduction and re-introduction to the group in an entirely different body, there’s plenty of fun to be had with the premise. Chris’s friends are understandably skeptical, but new Chris’s assertion that he is real makes them doubt their first impressions. Abduct plays with identity to keep the tension alive.

Contending with the possibility of Chris actually being abducted and forced to live a life in an entirely different body, the group considers what could even possibly be their next move. At the same time, the group considers alternative explanations on how this could be. This becomes a sticking point as the characters do their best to hide what they view as imposter Chris from unsuspecting visitors, making for some amusing moments.

Sadly, the interest stops there, with the next few reveals feeling hokey at best. A good psychological horror film relies on its reveals to keep the audience guessing. Unfortunately, Abduct lacks finesse in selling its convoluted twists. From this point on, new perspectives join in to share how Chris’s journey began and ended that night, and what that means for the rest of the group. Throw in a strange subplot that feels shoehorned in to add even more danger and Abduct comes apart at the seams with its penchant for narrative twists.

The comedy of errors and stilted dialogue make it even harder to connect with the characters and their bumbling attempts at resolving their problems. Most of Chris’s friend group acts understandably confused at the initial situation before devolving into an infuriatingly dumb mass of problems adding on top of each other. Beyond simply poor judgment, the actions can only be explained by the shoehorning of additional twists. By the end, it all feels exhausting and not in a cathartic or entertaining way.

Chris Riggi and Ken Kirby carry the film on their backs; their performances and characters making the sole interesting choices throughout. Both balancing the various twists of the story with their character’s stories, the actors do a great job of playing separately when needed. Each has chemistry with the cast, even when their circumstances change. Riggi gets more opportunities to flex his emotional chops while Kirby displays the range required to handle his post-abduction nicely.

An interesting idea that toils as the film goes on, Abduct is more of wasted potential than an outright bad film. It’s initially interesting premise and a few good performances do their best to overshadow the bad elements of Abduct. Its incessant need to add twist after twist, despite not adding materially to the story, becomes its downfall in the end. A bold swing and a miss, indie horror Abduct may not steal your heart, but it will mess with your mind.

Overall Score? 5/10