Summer Lovin' had me a blast...to the face! A review of DEAD RECKONING
The IMDB synopsis of “Dead Reckoning” says it’s “a thriller inspired by the Boston Marathon bombing of 2013.” It’s kind of like how many horror films of the 2000’s claimed they were “based on a true story” because they had cannibals and were set in America. This is a roundabout way for saying “Dead Reckoning” isn’t about an urban manhunt for terrorists, but it does have brothers from Eastern Europe hanging out on boats in beautiful Nantucket. Oh, and Scott Adkins, which is a big plus.
The film doesn’t have a protagonist but it’s many shady characters revolve around Tillie (India Eisley), a teenager with a drinking problem (no, it’s not that movie either). Tillie’s parents died in a plane crash, so she lives with her aunts, who own a bar, where she can conveniently fall in love with Niko (K.J. Apa), a boy with a secret (Okay, it’s a little bit that movie). All’s going well until Niko’s brother Marco (Scott Adkins) shows up, a terrorist connected to Tillie’s parents in a way you’ll never guess. When you find out, you’ll gasp and scratch your head in quick succession.
There’s a lot going on here. Maybe a little too much, but “Dead Reckoning” is cheesy fun that practically gets on it’s knees and begs to be an episode of “How Did This Get Made?” If the teen romance is too much for you, there’s a grizzled James Remar (always a welcome addition), who shows up to spout exposition and die, which you see coming as soon as he gets in a fistfight with Scott Adkins. Adkins’ accent is atrocious, but he gives it his all, even when he’s not in action-star mode. He never goes all-out beyond his fight with Remar, which is a shame because every film he’s in should have a clause stating he must “kick X amounts of ass.” Can we get this man a franchise, please?
Director and legendary cinematographer Andrzej Bartowiak is mostly known for fun action films starring rappers and wrestlers. This time he aims for profundity, but it’s a little hard to find, especially when one character describes the color of her bikini as “fuck-me-deeply.” At least it’s great to see Ellie Cornell acting again. This time she plays Tillie’s aunt, who’s in recovery, but never really broaches the subject with her niece, who’s developing problems of her own. You can’t help but wonder what that movie would have looked like, but you’d miss all the roundhouse kicks.
DEAD RECKONING Debuts November 13, 2020
VOD and Digital Platforms for Watch-At-Home
AppleTV, Amazon, Vudu, FandangoNOW, Hoopla, Sony, Microsoft, GooglePlay
Comcast, Cox, Charter, Verizon, DirecTV, and Dish
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