‘The Rhythm Section’ Review

Here we might have a contender for the worst title of the year for a film: The Rhythm Section. Even before completely bombing at the box office, it felt weirdly unnatural and gave me no idea about its themes when combined with promos of the star Blake Lively with different hairstyles. After seeing it I must admit to being even more confused and rather disappointed that it didn’t really relate to the story other than being awkwardly mentioned once. That kind of is the whole movie’s problem, it just kind of exists after doing everything conventionally and doesn’t showcase anything interesting stylistically.

This film really stumped me in the sense that there really isn’t much good to speak out but also it doesn’t do a poor job either. Lively as the hurt woman on the hunt for vengeance, Stephanie, gives into her role so that you do get her despair and unresolved feelings through the screen. Action scenes involving Stephanie are a mixture of shaky cam and long takes of fight choreography in which Lively/stunt double performs alright. There’s an appearance by Jude Law as Iain Boyd, a mysterious fight trainer for someone seeking revenge. You’ve seen it before, done both better and worse. Sterling K. Brown also pops in as Serra and he’s gone just as ineffectively.

Director Reed Morano’s and cinematographer Sean Bobbitt’s work is slightly above average but nothing that will elevate the bland script. There’s a cool scene with Stephanie diving into freezing cold water but on the other shore there is a nothing-of-a-shot of her walking out of chaos after a bomb goes off with the classic ringing in your ears. Sometimes the score is pretty orchestra movements and sometimes it’s just frustratingly used instead of actual dialogue that would’ve expanded the characters’ depth. But all in all if you’re going to have a film about a spy and then that spy fails in every aspect of the mission, you’d better have something smarter in your script than changing hairstyles every ten minutes.

Smileys: Honestly don’t really have anything to point out

Frowneys: Not much to point out either, the premise is very bland though

Huh, very surprised that I wrote even this much about it.

2.0/5