Assassin's Creed
2016 · Directed by Justin Kurzel
Original language: English
- action
- adventure
- science fiction
The story
Through a technology that unlocks the genetic memories of his ancestor in 15th century Spain, Callum Lynch discovers he is a descendant of an ancient line of Assassins and amasses lethal skills to take on the oppressive Templar Order.
What it’s like
Gritty, saturated and kinetic, with the look of a big-budget video-game adaptation: sun-bleached Iberian stone and terracotta in the 1490s sequences, then cold, sterile blues and fluorescent whites in the present-day Abstergo facility, where the grading flattens into clinical glare. Camera work leans handheld and close during fights and chases, with rapid cuts that blur rooftops and crowds, and slower, steadier framing in the lab scenes, glass walls and white corridors reflecting people back at themselves. The score is a driving orchestral-electronic pulse that swells into percussion during the parkour runs and drops to near silence in the quieter confinement scenes. Vibe: earnest, bombastic, mournful underneath, a blockbuster with a melancholy streak. Pacing is brisk and rarely breathes, the arcs follow a man learning who he is while a captive tries to hold onto his own self. Violence is frequent and physical: sword and blade fights, hangings, and bloody stabbings, with some graphic wounds but no gore fixation. Tension and dread run steadily through the chases and interrogations. Suits a loud Friday night, fans of stylised historical action and secret-society conspiracies, and viewers who enjoy sweeping set pieces more than quiet character study.
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