ABC Film Challenge – Thriller – T – Target Number One (2020) Movie Review
Director: Daniel Roby
Writer: Daniel Roby (Screenplay)
Starring: Antoine Olivier Pilon, Josh Hartnett, Stephen McHattie, Jim Gaffigan, Cory Lipman, Rose-Marie Perreault, Amanda Crew
Plot: In 1989, a Canadian journalist investigates the circumstances surrounding the suspicious arrest of a heroin addict imprisoned in a Thai jail.
Runtime: 2 Hours 5 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Story: Target Number One starts as reporter Victor Malarek (Hartnett) is looking to get a big story. His latest story looking to travel to Thailand to learn about a heroin addict Daniel Leger (Pilon). Who is in prison under suspicious of smuggling heroin.
As Victor investigates, we get to learn more about the FBI involvement in the case. Showing a corruption or mistaken identity which has caused the problems Daniel is facing.
Thoughts on Target Number One
Target Number One is a crime thriller that will look into the true story about a man that gets locked up in a Thai prison for his involvement in a drug smuggling ring run by the FBI connections. This might well be based on the real story, but is delivered in a disconnected way. Where we often thrown into different directions, with stories not always feeling connected. Or pulling us into the bigger story going on.
It does end up feel like it is waiting for us to get to the written outcome of the events of the movie. The performances are strong with what they have to work with, but just don’t get the most out of everything we are put through. The length of the movie doesn’t help, as we could easily have lost half an hour and given us the same story, without all the loose ends.
Final Thoughts – Target Number One is a flat thriller, that never pulls us in.
