Retribution is a 2023 action crime thriller film about a bank executive who receives a bomb threat while driving his children to school saying his car will explode if they stop and get out.
Directed by Nimród Antal (Control; Vacancy; Armored; Predators; Metallica Through the Never; The Whiskey Bandit) from a screenplay written by Andrew Baldwin, Christopher Salmanpour and Ward Parry. Adapted from the screenplay for the 2015 Spanish film El Desconocido by Alberto Marini
The American-French-Spanish co-production stars Liam Neeson (Memory; Marlowe; Blacklight; The Marksman; The Haunting), Jack Champion, Noma Dumezweni, Lilly Aspell, Embeth Davidtz, and Matthew Modine.
Plot synopsis:
When a mysterious caller puts a bomb under his car seat, Matt Turner (Liam Neeson) begins a high-speed chase across the city to complete a specific series of tasks. With his kids trapped in the back seat and a bomb that will explode if they get out of the car, a normal commute becomes a twisted game of life or death as Matt follows the stranger’s increasingly dangerous instructions in a race against time to save his family…
Release date:
In the US, Retribution will be released theatrically nationwide by Lionsgate on August 25, 2023.
Reviews:
“Neeson gives a good performance, believably conveying the concern Matt has for Emily and Zach. That gives Retribution a little emotional juice that the central mystery can’t provide. There’s also a basic level of suspense from the idea of sitting on a bomb. Retribution is mostly hollow, though.” 2 out of 4. The Aisle Seat
“Close-up shots in the car pair well with high-speed pursuits filmed in the streets of Berlin. R-rated action allows for the necessary grit and pulpy fun that I have been craving from Neeson. Eventually, a shocking twist and a total mic drop moment color Retribution as one to remember […] Retribution is definitely my favorite Liam Neeson-led movie since Taken 2.” 3.5 out of 5, Josh at the Movies
“No one in the cast is given much chance of character development from Christopher Salmanpour’s script, but you can expect a surprise or two while he makes some promising edits to the original mystery. And though the final showdown does shake off a very Scooby-level unmasking to eventually better El desconocido, any hopes for mining something meaty from this derivative premise are erased…” 2.5 out of 5, Maddwolf
“Retribution is an engrossing paranoia thriller along the lines of Non-Stop or The Commuter for most of its running time but lacks the kind of surprise payoff that would really make this thing work. That’s a shame, because director Nimród Antal […] is a great fit for this material, and the slick location filming through the streets of Berlin is first-rate stuff.” 2.5 out of 5, The Prague Reporter
“Retribution could have really benefited from at least a more dynamic baddie since the characters inside the car are so paper-thin that it’s a wonder they’re even able to keep the weight-sensitive bomb beneath them from exploding. The kids exist solely so Matt can worry about them blowing up, and for the most part this isn’t too much of a problem since Retribution is a vehicle built for brisk action rather than weighty emotions.” 2 out of 4, Slant
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