There arguably isn’t an easier shortcut with which to spice up a mundane thriller than with some titillation, a crutch heavily leaned on by 2004’s Taking Lives to disguise the fact that it wasn’t very good.
Even with the promise of salacious sex scenes featuring Angelina Jolie and Ethan Hawke getting steamy as the hunt for a mass murderer intensifies, director D.J. Caruso’s movie could only rustle up $65 million at the box office, hardly a stellar return for a project featuring a pair of big names in the lead roles and a premise that’s like catnip to those with a morbid disposition.
A serial killer has been traveling across the country assuming the identity of each new victim as their preferred method of evading capture, with Jolie’s FBI agent heading north to Canada in order to crack the case. Hawke’s art dealer is the key eyewitness in the latest incident, but it’s not long before the pair forge a connection that’s more concerned with rolling around than apprehending the culprit.
The twist can be spotted a mile away, and the predictability of it all was singled out as the film’s biggest weakness. However, because it’s got A-list names and some sultry shenanigans, Taking Lives has thrust its way onto Netflix’s most-watched charts this weekend regardless.
As per FlixPatrol, the entirely forgettable frolic has become one of the platform’s 20 most-watched titles, no doubt drawing in those with a serial killer obsession and a penchant for an excessively lengthy act of cinematic coitus that’s more cringeworthy than convincing.
Published: Nov 5, 2022 01:07 pm