Director: Jeff Beesley
Writer: Richard Dooling (Screenplay) Stephen King (Short Story)
Starring: Christian Slater, Emmanuelle Vaugier, Wes Bentley, Greg Bryk, Aidan Devine, Al Sapienza, Karen LeBlanc
Plot: A young man attempts to seek to avenge his wife’s death after she is murdered by a Las Vegas mobster.
Verdict: Different Revenge Film
Story: We have seen the revenge film done plenty of times and each one tries to offer something slightly different to the idea. This has a few changes but could easily be confused for the same. We have the witness murdered to stop a criminal being convicted and charged of his crime. This leads to the husband having a break down and complete loss of faith about the system and out to seek revenge for his murdered wife. He plans his revenge but instead of it being him taking the crew out one by one he goes straight to the source and we have a lengthy revenge moment which last nearly a good quarter of the film.
With this whole story we do get the Stephen King touch which you will see most notable with the revenge moment which gives our hero a conflict because of what goes on, but as King does he lets us have a moment of completion where we don’t know what will happen in that moment. It does have its slow build as we have to go through will he be able to kill or not as well as a confrontation with the man he is after who sends him a message. It is a solid revenge thriller but could be considered just another member of the revenge film selection. (7/10)
Actor Review
Christian Slater: Dolan human trafficker who has expected standards which does not include drugs. He likes to send messages before going further but with Elizabeth he makes a statement. He makes enemies with other gangs but he knows he has nothing to fear. Good performance from Slater who makes a good villain. (7/10)
Emmanuelle Vaugier: Elizabeth wife who witness’s Dolan murder some of his trafficked goods, but even after getting warned she refuses to back down and ends up paying the ultimate price. Good performance even though it comes off as a very annoying character. (6/10)
Wes Bentley: Robinson quiet life teacher who agrees to support his wife when she wants to stop Dolan but after she is murdered he has to question himself and what he stands for. He plots revenge but finds the act harder than he thought and his plans keep changing but he has to take revenge for his wife. Good performance from Bentley who shows he can play the role of anti-hero. (7/10)
Greg Bryk: Chief loyal henchman of Dolan who is a perfect shot as well as being a good ear for conversation with Dolan. Good supporting performance though he falls flat during the final moments. (6/10)
Supporting Cast: The support cast is mainly stereotypical characters be it a driver, a FBI agent or local sheriff that all make good supporting characters but no one really shines in these roles. (6/10)
Director Review: Jeff Beesley – Nice directing and with the final revenge moment we get a very nice use of the idea that is very intense. (7/10)
Thriller: You do want to know what Robinson will do to Dolan and when he will do it from the moment his wife is murdered. (7/10)
Settings: Each setting almost gets over looked for the main story until the final revenge moment. (6/10)
Suggestion: This is one to be trying, I went with it because of the name Stephen King, but this could be enjoyed by all the revenge film fans, but don’t expect any gore. (Try It)
Best Part: The revenge plot.
Worst Part: Does have slow moments while building up to final act.
Believability: No (0/10)
Chances of Tears: No (0/10)
Chances of Sequel: No
Post Credits Scene: No
Oscar Chances: No
Budget: $10 Million
Runtime: 1 Hour 29 Minutes
Overall: Tidy Thriller From Stephen King’s Mind
Rating 
