The Infernal Machine (2022) Movie Review

By Newguy

The Infernal Machine – ABC Film Challenge – Thriller – I – The Infernal Machine – Movie Review

Director: Andrew Hunt

Writer: Louis Kornfeld, Andrew Hunt (Screenplay)

Cast

Plot: A reclusive and controversial author is drawn out of hiding when he begins to receive endless letters from an obsessive fan. What ensues is a dangerous labyrinth as he searches for the person behind the cryptic messages.

Runtime: 1 Hour 51 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: The Infernal Machine starts when reclusive author Bruce Cogburn (Pearce) starts finding himself pestered by a fan. He finds himself receiving endless letters leading to him politely asking the fan to leave him alone. However, the letters and parcels continue to arrive.

Bruce went into hiding after a young man went on a killing rampage claiming to use his book as inspiration. However, now Bruce can’t shake whom this mysterious writer is and finds himself dealing with an unknown threat sending him down a labyrinth.

Verdict on The Internal Machine

The Infernal Machine is a mystery thriller following an author struggling with his life decades after a mass shooting claimed his book was the motivation. He finds himself getting letters from a fan that leads him to question why the fan won’t leave him alone. It ends up with him questioning everything about his life and wanting to know who is trying to contact him.

This is a movie that is covered in a mystery that keeps us guessing about everything that is going on. However, instead of getting into the mystery, it seems to focus more on a logical outcome. This leaves far too much of the mystery feeling empty and underused. Guy Pearce does give us a paranoid performance that keeps us on edge. While the rest of the performances are strong when they are needed to shine.

Final Thoughts – The Infernal Machine keeps us guessing, even if things get too much.