Cleveland Abduction (2015)
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A woman's life is upended when she accepts a ride from a man who turns out to be a kidnapper.
The story
In August 2002 in Cleveland, Ohio, 21-year-old single mother Michelle Knight has lost custody of her son, Joey. One morning while walking to court, she accepts a ride from Ariel Castro who abducts her and holds her captive in his home, regularly beating and raping her. Despite the lack of an active investigation as police believe she had run away, Michelle remains hopeful and determined to be reunited with her son, maintaining her faith and strength throughout her ordeal.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In August 2002 in Cleveland, Ohio, 21-year-old single mother Michelle Knight is abducted by Ariel Castro after accepting a ride to court. He holds her captive, subjecting her to abuse and rape. Over several months, he beats her and causes her to suffer a miscarriage. In 2003 and 2004, Castro abducts two other women, Amanda Berry and Georgina "Gina" DeJesus. The three women become close friends during their captivity. During this time, Michelle gives birth to a daughter, Jocelyn, who is raised in the house and believes the situation is normal. In 2013, Amanda manages to escape when Castro fails to lock the front door. She and Jocelyn alert neighbors, leading to the rescue of all three women. Michelle learns her son was adopted and accepts his new life. Castro is sentenced to life plus 1,000 years but is later found dead in his cell from suicide by hanging.
- First release year
- 2015
- Runtime (minutes)
- 88
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Alex Kalymnios
- Writers
- Stephen Tolkin · writer
- Cast and characters
- Taryn Manning · Michelle Knight; Raymond Cruz · Ariel Castro; Katie Sarife · Gina DeJesus; Samantha Droke · Amanda Berry; Pam Grier · Carla; Joe Morton · Agent Solano; Kyle McCann · Joey Knight
- Genres
- Thriller
- Themes
- Survival; Captivity; Faith
- Tone and mood
- Dramatic; Somber
- Setting
- Cleveland, Ohio, from 2002 to 2013
- Premise and plot tags
- True Story; Kidnapping; Crime
- Source material / true-story basis
- Finding Me: A Decade of Darkness, a Life Reclaimed by Michelle Knight
- Production trivia
- The film is based on a memoir by Michelle Knight.; The story is based on the real-life kidnapping of three women by Ariel Castro.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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