Sunday, May 14, 2023
Hypnotic
This new Ben Affleck thriller is not to be confused with the 2021 Jason O’Mara/Kate Siegel hypnotist movie with the same title. Austin police detective Danny Rourke (Affleck), who is distressed about the abduction of his 7-year-old daughter, Minnie, is back on duty investigating a tip about a bank robbery when bizarre things occur. A mysterious man (Willian Fichtner) makes suggestions to people that they must obey. Eventually, the investigation leads Rourke to team up with con artist/fortune teller, Dianne Cruz (Alice Braga), who seems to know about this mystery man & his ability to create hypnotic constructs. This is a mind-bending experience (à la “Inception” & “Tenet”) where you can’t trust what you see & hear. Then, just as your mind grapples with what’s happening, the film throws you some curve balls to keep you off balanced. It’s twists & turns right to the end. Who are the good guys & who are the bad guys? Who will live & who will die? If you skip the mid credit clips, you may miss out on some key information.
Alien gives it 3 “Operation Domino” stars out of 4.
