Reclaim (2014) Movie Review

Reclaim – ABC Film Challenge – 2010s Movies – R – Reclaim – Movie Review

Director: Alan White

Writer: Carmine Gaete, Luke Davies (Screenplay)

Cast

John Cusack (1408)
Ryan Phillippe (Cruel Intentions)
Rachelle Lefevre (White House Down)
Jacki Weaver (Silver Linings Playbook)
Luis Guzman (Boogie Nights)

Plot: A desperate American couple discovers all is not what it seems when they uncover a high-stakes underground scam while traveling abroad. To expose the truth and get back to the U.S., they must risk their lives to save their daughter.

Runtime: 1 Hour 36 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Reclaim starts when couple Steven (Phillippe) and Shannon (Lefevre) head to Puerto Rico to adopt a child Nina (Roy). This sees the couple getting a dream start for a family, one they have been waiting for.

The trip takes a dramatic turn when the couple wakes up and finds Nina has gone. They learn they have been thrown into a scam and must fight to save the girl and get out of the country from the criminals.

Verdict on Reclaim

Reclaim is an action thriller which sees a couple becoming the latest victims of a scam involving adopting orphans. It follows the couple trying to do the right thing and adopt a young girl who has become an orphan, all very wholesome. This takes the turn when they learn they have been scammed and refuse to give up on saving the young girl.

The idea that these real scams are happening is disturbing enough, seeing how the criminals are operating this black-market trade. While the operation seems to run smoothly, criminals get greedy and that is the only reason more of the story is exposed. This is what is the most frustrating part of the story, they were done clear and away, but couldn’t resist going for more.

The performances in the film are strong enough, with Ryan Phillippe and Rachelle Lefevre as the couple working well together. With their character’s traumatic past. John Cusack works well as the overly friendly villain that sees things spiral out of control.

Final Thoughts – Reclaim is a simple thriller, highlighting a real-world problem.