IR Film Review: BLACK SITE [Redbox]

The essence of practical but lower budget thriller fare is sometimes few and far between especially with established actors not phoning it in. With "Black Site", Michelle Monaghan gets to play her bad ass self without sacrificing some deeper drama. On top of this, the film takes place in a secured lockdown location so in many ways (though in a different way), it resembles something like "The Thing" or "Leviathan" without the supernatural elements. This is not to say it doesn't work. It takes a little bit to get going and some of the dialogue is expected but once it kicks into motion, it gets humming along. The script is fairly taught but not overly complicated. The production design is good but is well aware of what it is. Monaghan knows how much to play it up without crossing the line. She is effective but not overtly brutal until she needs to be. On the reverse is Jason Clarke as another facet of the story but like his Terminator role a few years back, his use of physicality as an acting tool is interestingly used. To say anymore would give his progression in the film away.

Jai Courtney, who back in the day a couple years ago, was the next big thing has taken on more supporting roles of late. This one, like a recent Liam Neeson vehicle he co-starred in, allows him to play little subtleties while pushing to a bigger formula. Some of the fight sequences are good but not overly styled, basic yet brutal. The ticking element works well to its advantage and in a way harks back to 90s action films that didn't have to rely on CG, more on double crosses. The setting in a certain country just plays to the isolation though that is not overtly felt. Despite any of this, it still works well. Monaghan as always is effective and she is one of the few female actioneers (Noomi Rapace is another) who can balance a film like this but also recognize material where it is important for it to say something as well. B

By Tim Wassberg