Next
2007 · Directed by Lee Tamahori
Original language: English
- action
- science fiction
- thriller
The story
Las Vegas showroom magician Cris Johnson has a secret which torments him: he can see a few minutes into the future. Sick of the examinations he underwent as a child and the interest of the government and medical establishment in his power, he lies low under an assumed name in Vegas, performing cheap tricks and living off small-time gambling "winnings." But when a terrorist group threatens to detonate a nuclear device in Los Angeles, government agent Callie Ferris must use all her wiles to capture Cris and convince him to help her stop the cataclysm.
What it’s like
Cool, washed-out Las Vegas daylight gives way to hard fluorescent corridors, casinos glowing neon-bright against the desert night, and a handful of long, restless sequences where the frame jolts forward a few minutes at a time. Director Lee Tamahori shoots in a glossy, digital-slick style with plenty of quick cuts, sweeping aerial shots of the city and the Los Angeles freeways, and a pulsing, percussive score that keeps the tension humming under every chase. The vibe is slick, anxious and breathless, the kind of mood that suits a late-night watch or a lazy Friday when you want momentum over reflection. Pacing is brisk, with the lead's guarded, sardonic self-protection slowly giving way to reluctant trust in a partner who is as pressured as he is. Intensity is moderate: gunfire, car chases and a looming nuclear threat, with brief sharp violence and some peril, but no gore and little that lingers. It is well suited to viewers who want a high-concept action thriller with a little mind-bending and a steady sense of ticking clock, rather than anything quiet or gentle.
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