ACTION, THRILLER, DRAMA

Elena lives a quiet life in Croatia when she is spotted by the mafia for her beauty. She is taken to be sold into a sex trafficking ring. FBI agent Jackson Lowery is tasked with finding her and stopping the top sex trafficking ring that has been stealing young people. Elena's unique gift of photographic memory helps them take down Mr. X and reunite Elena with her family.

GOOD

THIRD PERSON

Authors Writing Style: GOOD

Characterization: GOOD

Commerciality: GOOD

Franchise Potential: GOOD

Pace: GOOD

Premise: GOOD

Structure: GOOD

Theme: GOOD

Yes, the book profile accurately reflects the book.

The story begins following Elena, a rare beauty, who lives on a farm with her parents. She is a true farm girl with some learning disabilities. Her parents have been worried because they know human trafficking occurs and have tried to shelter Elena away. Her daughter is spotted and taken to be sold in sex trafficking. The stakes are very high in this story and it's a topic not touched upon often.

The use of rape and dealing with it could be done better. Kata, Elena's mother, is raped in front of her family as her daughter is being taken into sex slavery. The story proceeds to show how Ivan, Elena's father feels guilty and less of a man because he let it happens as opposed to understanding the trauma Kata is dealing with.

THE STORY DOES NOT RELY ON SPECIAL EFFECTS

The hook is that the gorgeous Elena is kidnapped and put into a sex trafficking ring. Her father sets out to find her while the FBI begins to close in on the top sex traffickers in the world. I would watch the movie for the action and suspense as well as seeing the underworld of human trafficking.

This could have a large fanbase. The story has many entertaining elements such as action, suspense, crime and drama. Human trafficking is not a often used subject and would be interesting to explore especially in Croatia.

This does not have awards potential as many action films do not. It is a tried and true action thriller with the focus on the action. There is little development with character arcs with the primary focus being the action and plot.

MEDIUM BUDGET

TAKEN, MARDAANI

The story is not original. This is a action story with Russian bad guys and an American savior. This story has been seen before. The fact that Elena was able to use her photographic memory to help the FBI stop the sex trafficking is a unique element. She is not just a victim but able to aid in her rescue.

The lead characters do not stand out. Jackson is a capable FBI agent who uses his skill and knowledge to stop the bad guys. He is a typical main character in a male driven action film. There is little emphasis placed on his character development or any other characters. The plot is the main focus.

This is not a rare gem as it follows the typical storytelling for an mafia crime, kidnapping, action story. It does shed light a topic not often explored: the business of sex trafficking.

Film: Studio, Streaming TV Series: Limited Run / Mini-Series, Streaming

CONSIDER

This is a consider because it is a well written action story. There is a clear cut good vs. evil, a person in need of rescuing and a capable and handsome man to save them. It has all the elements of a dark and entertaining action thriller. There are enough distinctions between other films that would make this entertaining for audiences. It would do better if it had a very distinct element. Taken worked because his daughter was kidnapped and he was a one man killing machine. The same for John Wick. These films are set apart by the characters unique skill set. That idea should be applied to all action films since the market is saturated with them. Overall, a solid story that would be a solid film.