Destroyer (2018) Reviews

• A film that paves a winding road it never reaches

  TheTopDawgCritic2019-02-11

  Too many back and forth flash-backs throughout the entire 121 min slowly paced convoluted plot does not make for a good film - regardless of Kidman's decent (not great) performance. Director Karyn Kusama and writers Phil Hay and Matt Manfredi failed to accomplish their vision in creating a captivating film by convoluting simplicity with cliched typical underwhelming directing and writing. Had this films timeline been played out normally, it may have been somewhat entertaining - although the focus was too much on Kidman's character more than anything else. Chopping it with back and forth scenes added nothing more than an annoyance, as there was very little surprise or impact that wasn't already predictable, and the finale was very underwhelming. The camera work/cinematography was decent, although I would've rather seen less slow-mo and long fixated shots on irrelevant scenes. Had this film's pace been picked up substantially, and edited down to about 90 mins by cutting the convoluted and unnecessary portions out (e.g. skateboarders, walking in the snow, etc), I would have enjoyed it, instead of being left unsatisfied. A shame the producers focused more on bogus reviews instead of investing in more experienced director/writers equal to Kidman's level. You won't get an A-grade film by hiring A-list actors with B-grade TV-experienced writers and directors. Sadly it's only a very generous 5/10 from me, and all of that goes to the actors and score which were the only aspects that were stand-out/decent.

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• Soul Destroying

  Kumarh022019-01-26

  Slow, boring and overly pretentious. Bland plot that is thinly spread over 2 painful hours. Kidman plodding around like she's soiled her pants isn't great acting - BMX Bandits is a better example of her fare. If you are expecting a pacy action thriller, avoid this. I would've walked out after 30 mins had it not sent me to sleep.

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• Only thing that got Detroyed was my will to live

  arabnikita2019-02-02

  Throughout the course of this glacially paced movie I was sitting and thinking to myself. Why was this made? What is the point of this movie? What is the reason behind her actions? Who cares about anything that she is doing? Yes Kidman's acting is not her usual forte and she portrays but she is hardly a believable cop. She is more of Clint Eastwood wearing a wig and walking like a zombie. Dont get me started on the director, what was she trying to do? Dialogues are disastrous, characters underdeveloped, no plot; pace and flow are non existent. So called "Vision" The only thing that got Destroyed in this movie was my will to live. Once the 2 hours were up, everyone clapped from relief that it was over. If you are having trouble sleeping, grab a ticket for Desroyer and it will take care of all your problems.

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• Please watch before judging

  squibbimages2019-03-02

  I'm not sure why there are so many negative reviews, although in reading them they have either not watched the film or simply failed to understand the plot. It's a good, dark film based around revenge, leading you on a journey to discover to discover who the real villain is. Please ignore the reviews that state it's confusing (it's really not) or the ones the watched 30 minutes of it (not sure how you can review something you haven't seen?) Watch it and make your own mind up!

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• Nicole Kidman is the star!!

  benjaminsolomon342018-09-12

  Nicole Kidman is an absolute beast in this movie. Her performance in Destroyer is truly enthralling, and quite frankly, the highlight of the entire picture. She submerges herself in the character both physically and emotionally. You can easily feel her pain and bleak persona. Even her joyous moments- as scarse as they are- were well interpreted by Kidman. The movie is a fine movie, at least to me, though many don't feel that way. It is a must-see.

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