The Destroyer

USA, 2018. dir. Karyn Kusama, 121 mins.

Distributor: Elevation Pictures

Dates and Venues Opens January 25, 2019 Various Select Cinemas

Reviewer Ed Farolan

I expected more from this film. Nicole Kidman was miscast. She didn't even have energy. She was either overacting, as in the scene when her lover and fellow cop was killed or under acting. Overacting in the sense that she kept on crying and crying. I mean, the director should have cut that scene in half. She was mostly underacting. She kept on whispering and talking with no energy at all. I could hardly understand what she was saying.

I also noticed a lot of Directorial flaws. Scenes were too long. There was a blatant lock of editing. Some takes could have been cut in half. I also noticed at the end of the film, the director attempts to be poetic, taking shots of birds flying, the autumn leaves, the sunset. Why? This is a crime thriller. You don't shoot poetic scenes in crime thrillers.

This is the first time I've seen Kidman so ugly. Is she trying to compete with Charlize Theron who won best actress for Monster?

© 2019 Ed Farolan