Butterfly on a Wheel is also known as Shattered, but I prefer the poetic title. Gerard Butler and Maria Bello play Neil and Abby, a happy couple who are enjoying an idyllic life in Chicago. However, their lives are plunged into turmoil when a man called Tom (Pierce Brosnan) claims that he’s abducted their daughter, and he acts as a puppet master as he finds out just how far they’re willing to go to protect their daughter.
Butterfly on a Wheel is a suspenseful, tense, fast-paced thriller with a captivating story and engaging actors. Butler, Bello and Brosnan play off brilliantly with each other and there’s a nice contrast between the desperate couple and the cool, composed Tom. There’s also some intrigue as they try to find out just who Tom is and why he’s doing this to them, and as a viewer the ultimate reason makes sense and it’s quite a nice development at the end.
I liked the concept that Tom introduces, as he says that “People say they’ll do anything for their kids, well I’m putting that to the test,” and it’s interesting to see just how far he pushes them and what they’ll do. It’s quite brutal in some aspects and we always get the sense that Tom isn’t quite as in control of his emotions as he seems, and we see Neil and Abby desperately try to find a way to rescue their daughter.
It’s a solid film that’s exciting and dramatic and I think it’s definitely worth watching.
