Ransom | What to Watch

A riveting thriller in which Mel Gibson resorts to desperate measures after his son is kidnapped. 4/5 stars

Airline boss Mel Gibson's life tips into crisis when his son (Brawley Nolte) is kidnapped.

And that crisis only deepens when, after a botched attempt at delivering the $2million ransom, he shockingly offers double the money as a reward to find the culprits, turning them into the most wanted criminals...

Tightly written and directed with precision by Ron Howard, this is a brilliant workout for Gibson and he gives it everything he's got.

Giving his character a crucial guilty secret also ensures that the story has some persuasive emotional weight. In a chilling performance, Gary Sinise is excellent as the chief bad guy, Rene Russo makes the most of her rather underwritten role as Gibson's wife and Lili Taylor and Delroy Lindo also make strong impressions.