322. Bad Samaritan; movie review

BAD SAMARITAN
Cert 15
108 mins
BBFC advice: Contains strong threat, violence, language, brief nudity

Who would have thought that nice David Tennant could be so evil?
Yes, really. He is genuinely scary as a deranged criminal who has a young woman chained up in his bachelor pad.
Bad Samaritan is another of those independent films which have struggled for cinema distribution amid the surge of disappointing summer blockbusters.
It has found its way to a dozen or so screens but is available on demand. But don't be fooled - it deserves more big screen time.
Tennant's character is rumbled when he leaves his Maserati with valets at a fancy restaurant and one of them (Robert Sheehan) sets off in the fancy motor to burgle it owner's home while he tucks into dinner with friends.
However, after initially thinking he has hit the jackpot, the raider discovers much more than he had expected.
Thereafter, begins a clash between wide-eyed amateur thief and highly organised demented kidnapper.
Sheehan brings the audience onside with his portrayal of a small-time criminal whose greed is his undoing and is then torn between revealing his own past to the police in order to nail his nemesis.
And even if he does, will the cops believe him?
As Dean Devlin's film progresses, its intensity ratchets up until it comes up with a finale which is a tad far-fetched but devilishly exciting.
I dare not write more for fear of giving the game away and dulling the suspense (I jumped twice) which I enjoyed all the more because it came as such a surprise.

Reasons to watch: A gripping and suspenseful thriller
Reasons to avoid: Its hard-hitting violence

Laughs: None
Jumps: Two
Vomit: None
Nudity: Yes
Overall rating: 7.5/10

Director quote - Dean Devlin: "We set out from the beginning to not pretend we don't have technology and then we said "Let's be more realistic with what people can and can't do with technology. If a psychopath has the same access to that technology, what's he going to do with it?"

The big question - Why are are we all wired so differently?

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