When Beatrice (Noomi Rapace), a woman seeking revenge on the man who destroyed her face in a car accident, blackmails her neighbour, a gangland figure—she thinks she is the only one willing to risk everything for revenge.
Rising up the ranks as a gangland player, Victor (Colin Farrell) is helping his boss to track down an unknown threat when he realises his neighbour has been watching him closely. Not knowing what she’s seen, Victor begins to take a closer interest in Beatrice, an interest that comes rapidly closer to attraction.
With his boss under threat, and as each piece of the puzzle is revealed, the tension within the gang grows, and Victor must be careful to not fall foul of his kinsmen.
Like all organised crime gangs, there is a great deal of suspicion and mistrust. And, there are also levels of deceit. Above Victor’s gang is an even greater power that Victor must be careful to stay clear of, as he exacts his mission.
Equally, as he begins to develop feelings for Beatrice, he must question the safety in having personal ties to anyone.
As it turns out, Victor is not exactly who he seems.
Another film to come into existence with the help of WWE Studios (The Call was also their production), I was cautious to begin with, but relatively satisfied with the thrills and spills on offer in Dead Man Down.
Niels Arden Oplev has brought a different pace to the action thriller arena here—it’s slower and more tempered, but this will likely be to the ire of cinemagoers who prefer a quicker dose of action. There is a darkness to his work, and I like it, but it is a departure from genre norms.
Farrell and Rapace (best known for her title role in the Swedish Girl with a Dragon Tattoo films) have an interesting chemistry. And their characters are far from the stereotypes that often mar these films.
It’s not perfect, but it’s interesting. Dead Man Down is a solid offering if gritty thrillers are your thing.
Directed by: Niels Arden Oplev
Starring: Colin Farrell, Noomi Rapace
Rating: MA15+
Runtime: 118mins
Release Date: May 23
Reviewer rating: 3/5
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