Robert Rodriguez (Desperado, Spy Kids, Sin City: A Dame to Kill For) directs this sci-fi mystery that mixes elements of Inception, Looper, Fury, and Firestarter into a detective story with a significant mid-film twist.
Danny Rourke (Ben Affleck), an Austin Police Department detective, is a tormented man. While at the park under his supervision, his 7-year-old daughter, Minnie (Ionie Olivia Nieves), went missing, leading to the dissolution of his marriage. His missing daughter hangs over everything he does, so when he and his partner receive a tip to stake out a bank and a possible safety deposit box robbery, they do, and Rourke discovers that inside the box is a photo of his missing daughter inscribed with the message “Find Lev Dellrayne,” the name of the would-be bank robber (William Fichtner). Alice Braga stars as Diana Cruz, who may be able to help Rourke solve the case and find his daughter.
If you like reality-bending sci-fi and have Peacock, this might be worth 90 minutes, but this comes nowhere close to being as good as the aforementioned films it aspires to. That said, it’s got a solid cast that includes cameo appearances from Jeff Fahey and Jackie Earle Haley. (93 min.)
—Glen Starkey
This article appears in Sep 21 – Oct 1, 2023.