Dakota Johnson's character, Emily *spoilers*

Although I also didn't care much for this movie either I can give some half-assed answers.

i. She 'kidnapped' her sister to get her away from the cult. People -- particularly kids -- who under the sway of a cult have to be literally dragged away by force. I remember several big news stories of concerned parents arranging for their children to be kidnapped from cults.

ii. Hamm's death... She's on the run not only from the cult, but possibly from someone hunting them over the murder of her father, probably the law. Hamm was openly hostile to her in the hotel lobby. So she assumed that he was either the law out looking for them, or connected to Billy Lee. Particularly after he burst through the door, his intentions were clearly not friendly and she had no time to figure out his motivation or connection to her situation.

iii. The one-way mirror scene. She knows at this point that the hotel is more than it seems what with all the one-way mirrors. Again, she's edgy and suspicious of everyone in it. She's already killed one man... has no idea who heard the shot and knows she killed someone, no idea who's maybe working together... But, I agree, the scene was rather weak in its set up.

This movie sucks. I read that it takes twists and turns you don't expect. I didn't think that meant stupid dumb ones that make you hate the movie.

There's two types of crappy movies. Those that suck, and those that could have been great. This is the latter.

Emily was a tough abused chick who was protective of her younger sister.

The younger sister murders the abusive father, runs away and gets sucked into a cult in California.

Emily finds her sister, realizes she is becoming more violent in the cult and kidnaps her, thinking she can straighten her out.

She has guns on her because she’s paranoid of the pursuing cult members.

She murder Jon Hamm’s character after he strikes her and she has a flashback to being struck by her father.

She investigates behind the mirror because it’s extremely weird to find a passageway with somebody spying on her just after being assaulted in her room.

Johnson was big fail in the role. She didnt seem like someone from the stated background, she didnt seem to be the kind of toughie who'd fight back against abusers or cults, or who'd defend herself with force if necessary.

As always, she brought the charism and intensity of a barista who wants to check her Facebook instead of getting you a frappuchino to her work.