Beckett

With the premise and setting, I was hoping for a slow-burn thriller in the vein of The American, but Beckett didn’t quite deliver on that front. That said, it's not a bad film — more of a minimalist European thriller with a touch of Hollywood flair. The Greek backdrop is intriguing, almost giving off vibes like a post-conflict Donbas under pro-Russian control. There are some beautiful shots, but the film loses its edge when the main character suddenly turns into someone who can stop a bullet with a stare. The ending felt like a collision between European minimalism and a cheesy American B-movie, leaving the film feeling a bit off balance. (16.08.2021)

Present day Greece. An irresponsible Afro-American goes on a nighttime drive without drinking a Red Bull before setting off. Falls asleep, crashes, plowing through a building, killing his wife/girlfriend who irresponsibly did not fasten her seatbelt. Before he faints he sees a carrot-top kid. When making his police statement he lets this insignificant piece of information slip and, suddenly, everybody wants to kill him and he has to run for dear life. Ironically, shortly before that he had decided to commit suicide out of solidarity. A 70s-based conspiratorial chase through the picturesque landscape of the Peloponnese, spiced up with political intrigue. The unfortunately unlikeable hero who behaves like a cretin most of the time miraculously escapes his pursuers and picks up snippets of information to help him solve his situation brings the whole thing down. The screenplay oscillates between an action B-movie and a artsy Euro movie = doesn’t make much sense. After Tenet, this is a step in entirely the wrong direction for Washington. (07.02.2022)