The Infernal Machine

A thriller as slow-burn as debut writer / director Andrew Hunt's "The Infernal Machine" relies on its ending, which here is self-satisfied, contrived & implausible... wasting some terrific dark & moody set up work. Reclusive writer Guy Pearce (always solid) lives in isolation after his only novel inspired a mass-shooter 40yrs+ ago. Then SOMEONE starts sending him persistent 'fan mail'... but is it more sinister than that (duh)? Is it the jailed shooter Alex Pettyfor? Will Pearce get help from pretty cop Alice Eve (whose performance epitomises the whole movie: surprisingly good, til ultimately it ain't)? Worthy questions all, all sadly let down by that bloated ending. Shame... sigh.

This could have been a superb, suspenseful film. I don't want to give a way anything though. The part with the then kid open fire on students in a mass shooting didn't not fit into the main plot whatsoever. Scenes with the female police officer were a waste of time in terms of developing the story. Unrealistic things take place when she is involved. Acting by Guy Pearce and the rest of the supporting cast is superb. Directing was well done as was the musical score. The main theme which is wrapped up in the end of the film would have been enough. Since I live in southern California and the location is supposed to be SoCal was awesome until I learned it was shot in South America. Oh well.

I watched The Infernal Machine with three other people. They all liked it a bit more than me, but it's not that they loved it. I wasn't impressed by it at all. The movie is just too long for that kind of story. It could easily have been half an hour lesser long. Slow paced, repetitive, just not really my thing. By the time the mystery was solved I lost all interest in the story, almost fell asleep. As for the acting it's basically all about Guy Pearce, whom isn't a bad actor, but even he couldn't make this movie better. I won't say the movie is a complete failure, as it probably will please other people, but just not me.