“Hypnotic” (2023) directed by Robert Rodriguez, starring Ben Affleck, Alice Braga & William Fichtner / Z-View
Hypnotic (2023)
Director: Robert Rodriguez
Screenplay: Robert Rodriguez, Max Borenstein
Stars: Ben Affleck, Alice Braga, JD Pardo, Jeff Fahey, William Fichtner, Zane Holtz, Ruben Javier Caballero, Ryan Ryusaki and Jackie Earle Haley.
Tagline: Control is an illusion.
The Plot…
Detective Danny Rourke (Affleck) is on a stakeout with a response team. They had received a tip on the robbery of bank safe deposit boxes. Through their monitors they see a suspicious well dressed man. They will learn later his name is Lev Dellrayne (Fichtner). Dellrayne speaks to a woman waiting for a bus. As he walks away the woman begins stripping. The disrobing woman causes a commotion including vehicles crashing into each other.
Dellrayne then speaks to two police officers. They turn and walk into the bank following Dellrayne’s commands. Within seconds, Dellrayne gets into the safe deposit box area, opens the targeted box and escapes. He appears to just disappear.
Detective Rourke checks out the open safe deposit box. The only thing left inside is a photo of Rourke’s daughter Minnie. Minnie has been missing for three years since she was kidnapped. “Find Lev Dellrayne” is written on the photo.
Obviously his daughter’s kidnapping and the robbery are linked. If Rourke can capture Dellrayne, there is a chance he will find his daughter alive.
Rourke has no idea what he is about to learn. Nothing is as it seems.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
Rouke visits a BBQ joint called The Bone Shack. The restaurant has the same name and logo of a BBQ eatery featured in Planet Terror (also directed by Robert Rodriguez). In Planet Terror, Jeff Fahey played the owner of The Bone Shack. Although Fahey appears in Hypnotic, he isn’t the owner of this Bone Shack.
Be sure to watch the credits, there is a scene that changes the ending!
I could see Hypnotic as a limited or on-going television series.
Hypnotic (2023) rates 3 of 5 stars.
