Synopsis: Two Detectives, dead teenage girls, pimps, harlots, Texas and a brutal killer. Who's he and will they find him? At what cost?
I am crime / revenge story writer and obviously a big follower of such movies. So when I heard of this it was all fun and enthusiasm. I've liked whatever I've seen of Sam Worthington And Jessica Chastain. Also heard great things about Jeffrey Dean. Plus getting produced by Michael Mann and directed by her daughter A.C.Mann it was surely gonna be a great ride, right? Let's see.
It starts off pretty well setting the tone and introducing the characters including a very young Chloe Grace Moretz. But sadly after that it loses pace and bonding. We stop caring about the characters and also some scenes appear haphazardly. It creates mood but you also need some good action at the right times to keep people interested. Sadly it fails to deliver consistently on that front. There a couple of great setpieces in the second half. Though at that time you aren't caring that much.
As a crime suspense movie its foolhardy to give away anything about the story(though its based on real life Texas killings). But safe to say the identity of the killer would leave you shortchanged. All the dark atmosphere and mood created before it goes to waste. Even the most hardcore crime movie fan would be flabbergasted. It could have been great but it stops just short of good.
Female directors are making a mark on the indie scene and this one comes with pedigree. Ani Canaan Mann. Daughter of Michael Mann. Just her second directorial venture she definitely gets the mood right. Some good cinematographry helps. But she struggles with the pacing part and maybe some tight editing could have redeemed it to some extent. Anyways i hope she continues making such movies and goes on to be known as one of the few great female directors on this planet.
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| The real life victims! |
Acting didn't let me down thankfully. Always a pleasure to see Sam Worthington [Mike] and Jessica Chastain[Pam]. Playing a pair of estranged husband and wife both detectives. While Jessica doesn't have a major role she does show a kind of no nonsense attitude that is required to pull this off. I was seeing her Zero Dark Thirty character all over again. This came a couple of years earlier. Extraordinary actress. Sam though is not as wooden as Avatar. He gets the accent as well the action right. Totally nice.
Honestly I've never seen Jeffrey [Brian ] in a movie but he's pretty good in this. He's playing a ex NY detective who gets into the mystery straight away with his partner Mike. Though we start losing him in all the muddle that follows after a nice start. The same can be said of Chloe Grace Moretz[Anne]. She is sensational. Even as a 13 year old she gives a performance so matured that you could only love her. Around her are some great actors who pitch in just enough to make it bearable.
HighTension Verdict: I've said enough already. Just wanna say. If only the pacing and flow of scenes was much better and ending more meatier then we could have had a masterclass on our hand. She had a great cast to boot but sadly it wasn't to be. A.C. Mann good luck for your next crime movie.
HighTension Meter: 6/10.
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