Written by: Oren Uziel
Directed by: Oren Uziel
Starring: Benjamin Walker, Wyatt Russell, Rainn Wilson, Ron Livingston, Rob Corddry
Rated: TV-MA
Plot
This crime thriller proceeds backwards, reversing day by day during the week as a small town sheriff tries to determine how a bank heist went wrong.
Verdict
This is a Saturday afternoon movie. While the reverse order of scenes is integral to the movie, and sets up the end, that's the only thing that sets up this heist movie.
It depends.
Review
It has replay value, but that also a cheat. The format is integral to the conclusion but also makes this confusing because we aren't programmed to follow things backwards. It makes this heist movie a mystery, but relies too heavily on that.
Ben Walker does a solid job as the sheriff. While he may seem a bit unorthodox, that pays off at the end. Corddry and Livingston are great as two FBI agents assigned to the case. When the sheriff tells them this is his hometown and while they'll get the credit they need to take a back seat while he solves the case, you expect the agents to protest but Corddy welcomes getting credit for no work. He admits that they aren't even the B team. He's all too happy to let someone else take the case.
This is a small town, and invariably everyone is linked. This serves to create a background for the characters. While this swings between dark comedy and mystery, neither come out quite like they should.
The ending was a surprise, and I expect the intention was to push viewers into wanting to watch it again now that they 'get it,' but I just can't muster the energy to watch it again. It's not bad, but it's okay to skip it.
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