This film feels very much like a product of COVID filmmaking. While it hides it well, at the end of the day it is a remarkably small story, all structured around a tense reunion between two former colleagues/lovers who haven't seen each other in eight years. Initially, the limitations did start to drag things down for me, as the pace felt slow and the storytelling simple. However, this was one of those rare cases where the ending really pulled things together and made me look back more kindly on all of the setup that was needed to make it work. The reveals are suitably surprising for a CIA thriller, and more impressively, they have a dramatic impact on not just the plot, but also the character relationships that form the true backbone of the film. It's a very rare feat to write twist that successfully re-contextualizes everything we've seen prior, but I think this about pulls it off. There are probably some logical nitpicks that I could come up with if I think back through certain character's actions with full knowledge of the pending twists, but nothing so egregious as to ruin the experience. Chris Pine and Thandiwe Newton are both solid in the central roles. All in all, a worthwhile, dialogue driven thriller.
Review by SkinnyFilmBuffVIP 8BlockedParent2022-04-24T03:25:11Z
This film feels very much like a product of COVID filmmaking. While it hides it well, at the end of the day it is a remarkably small story, all structured around a tense reunion between two former colleagues/lovers who haven't seen each other in eight years. Initially, the limitations did start to drag things down for me, as the pace felt slow and the storytelling simple. However, this was one of those rare cases where the ending really pulled things together and made me look back more kindly on all of the setup that was needed to make it work. The reveals are suitably surprising for a CIA thriller, and more impressively, they have a dramatic impact on not just the plot, but also the character relationships that form the true backbone of the film. It's a very rare feat to write twist that successfully re-contextualizes everything we've seen prior, but I think this about pulls it off. There are probably some logical nitpicks that I could come up with if I think back through certain character's actions with full knowledge of the pending twists, but nothing so egregious as to ruin the experience. Chris Pine and Thandiwe Newton are both solid in the central roles. All in all, a worthwhile, dialogue driven thriller.