Not every movie gets to leave behind a lasting legacy or live on forever as a certifiable sensation, but 2007’s largely overlooked genre-bender Fracture was a lot more successful than anyone seems to give it credit for.
The intriguing battle of wits that pitted Ryan Gosling against Anthony Hopkins recouped its $10 million budget back at the box office nine times over, and respective Rotten Tomatoes scores of 72 and 73 percent from critics and audiences underline that we’re dealing with a distinctly above-average and exceedingly profitable slice of slick genre fare.
Gosling’s high-flying rising star prosecutor is readying to take the next step in his career to go private when his boss hands him one final case that seems like an easy way to round out his tenure. Hopkins’ wealthy aeronautical engineer tried to kill is wife, something the evidence makes abundantly clear, and he’s opted to defend himself in court.
Soon enough, it becomes apparent that not all is what it seems, with Hopkins channeling some subtle Hannibal Lecter vibes when it’s revealed his accused would-be murder is a lot smarter, capable, and sinister than his adversary could have imagined. Over 15 years on, and Fracture has finally been placed back under the microscope, and it’s not an exaggeration to say it’s been coming in for some high praise.
A Reddit thread remarking on the combination of legal drama, character study, psychological thriller, and murder mystery showcases that it has a lot of fans, and it’s worth tracking down if you’ve got a soft spot for any of the aforementioned subgenres.
Published: Jan 28, 2023 04:51 am