Some movies aren’t bad, they aren’t good, they just kind of…exist. There aren’t any big flaws within them, but not enough good elements either. “Deadfall” is certainly one of those movies, where everything is generally alright, and the few things that standout aren’t even that great. It’s a thriller, but not very thrilling.
Addison (Eric Bana) and Liza (Olivia Wilde) are siblings who have just pulled off a casino heist. After getting in a car crash and murdering a cop, they’re forced to split up and go on the run, planning to meet back up again soon. From there, the film is a slow paced but not exactly boring film, following three intersecting storylines. Liza as she travels with Jay (Charlie Hunnam) who agrees to give her a ride, Addison as he runs around taking various families hostage in their homes, and Hanna (Kate Mara), a local police officer who is searching for Addison. When the film finally gets to the end, it feels more like where we would end up at the end of act one, not the grand finale of the film.
As a whole it’s not very thrilling, interesting or compelling, but it isn’t unpleasant or annoying. There are parts that you don’t really buy, like the romance between Liza and Jay, or how every other police officer yells at Hanna just because she’s a woman. Although the film doesn’t specify the exact year it’s set, we can assume it’s modern day, when it’s not okay to say things like “What if you went out there and something major happened, like you had to change your tampon?” It gets to the point where you hate Hanna for never standing up for herself, which is even more of a problem.
If there is any standout, it’s probably Bana’s performance. The guy hasn’t gotten many opportunities to show if he’s talented or not, the few things I can remember enjoying him in were “Chopper” and “Hanna.” Aside from those, he either never has much to do, or just feels kind of bland. Here, he only gets two or three scenes to really shine, but he manages to be really threatening yet calm at the same time. However, when he needs to get a little crazier, he doesn’t shy away from that either.
There’s not much to really recommend “Deadfall” for. I suppose if you were flipping through TV and it was playing on HBO and the remote fell out of your hand, it’d be fine to just let it play. If the remote doesn’t drop however, whatever Starz is showing is probably better.
2.5/5 Stars