Shadows on the Wall

Hypnotic

dir Robert Rodriguez
scr Robert Rodriguez, Max Borenstein
prd Racer Max, Robert Rodriguez, Jeff Robinov, John Graham
with Ben Affleck, Alice Braga, William Fichtner, JD Pardo, Dayo Okeniyi, Jackie Earle Haley, Jeff Fahey, Sandy Avila, Zane Holtz, Ruben Caballero, Hala Finley, Ionie Nieves
release UK 26.May.23
23/US 1h33

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With a whizzy, twisty plot that merrily plays with perception and reality, this thriller has a strong Christopher Nolan-lite vibe. Even if there isn't much depth or complexity to the story or characters, filmmaker Robert Rodriguez has fun throwing the audience off course while deploying woozy digital trickery and occasionally pulling the rug out. As a result, the film is thoroughly entertaining while it lasts, and mercifully forgettable.

Preoccupied by his missing preteen daughter, detective Danny (Affleck) is alerted to a bank heist in Austin, Texas. He turns up with his partner Nicks (Pardo), but things take a confusing turn as mystery man Lev (Fichtner) seems able to control people. The only clue leads Danny to the psychic Diana (Braga), who knew Lev from a secret government agency that trained "hypnotics" who can change reality for others. Soon they're on the run, meeting up with other cohorts (Okeniyi and Haley) to find answers and work out how this circles back to Danny's daughter.

Opening on scenes that have a world-weary and nicely distracted sensibility, Rodriguez slowly begins eroding the viewer's trust. Often accompanied by eye-catching effects work, each revelation underscores just how little of what we're seeing on-screen can be trusted, which causes some problems when it comes to believing in characters, relationships, confrontations and even murders. But it's enjoyable to keep up with the increasingly mind-bending premise, even after we begin to get a few steps ahead of the surprises.

There's a whiff of melodrama to each of these characters, largely because they are constantly upended about what is happening around them, so must work at keeping wavering emotions in check. Affleck has a likeable everyman quality, exhausted by the stress but finding his feet as he begins to grasp the truth. Braga makes Diana a likeable sidekick who's also a tough woman with her own compelling story, and the two generate some decent chemistry. Meanwhile, Fichtner gets to slyly chomp scenery with his nastier, more enigmatic role.

As things spiral to a series of finales without stretching the film out too long, there's very little sense of depth to add resonance to what happens. The puzzle of a plot will appeal to the nerd inside any viewer, but there's little about these characters or situations that we can identify with. So this ultimately becomes little more than a guilty pleasure with some nice wrinkles, cool effects and a mid-credits sequence signposting that Rodriguez isn't done with these characters quite yet.

themes, language, violence 23.May.23

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