"Destroyer" dir. by Karen Kusama

"Destroyer"
The user review section on IMDb is filled with comments like "this movie should have moved at a faster pace", "there wasn't enough action", "it would have been better if Jason Statham played the lead role." Obviously this isn't your run of the mill knucklehead action cop flick despite its aggressive title and its undercover cop/gang/heist premise.
I've seen a number of Karyn Kusama's films, my favorite still being "The Invitation." She has a great sense of building tension and it's done quite masterfully in both "The Invitation" as well as this film.
The big selling point here comes in the form of a barely recognizable Nicole Kidman who plays an aged former undercover cop under layers of prosthetics.
This film wasn't mindblowing. It was engaging enough for my mind to not wander during its 2 hour run time. The performances were above average and there were some touching moments, in particular between Kidman's character and her daughter. The film's non-linear narrative keeps the plot veiled which is at times frustrating, at times confusing and at times very satisfying.

7/10

Comments

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