Push
2009 · Directed by Paul McGuigan
Original language: English
- science fiction
- action
- adventure
- thriller
The story
After his father, an assassin, is brutally murdered, Nick Gant vows revenge on Division, the covert government agency that dabbles in psychic warfare and experimental drugs. Hiding in Hong Kong's underworld, Nick assembles a band of rogue psychics dedicated to destroying Division. Together with Cassie, a teenage clairvoyant, Nick goes in search of a missing girl and a stolen suitcase that could be the key to accomplishing their mutual goal.
What it’s like
Push leans on glossy, saturated Hong Kong nights: neon smeared across rain-slick streets, sodium-orange alleys, and the cool blue-white of sterile government corridors that feel like a different country altogether. The camera is restless, with fast handheld moves, whip pans and frequent slow-motion bursts that freeze a power in mid-air, and the digital finish gives everything a bright, polished sheen rather than grain. Brian Tyler's score pulses with synth and electronic percussion, punctuated by sudden silences whenever someone's mind begins to reach outward. The vibe is slick, urgent and a little paranoid, the kind of loud, stylish late-night watch that suits a Friday with friends or a long-haul flight where you want momentum over reflection. Pacing is brisk and chase-driven, and the emotional center is a tangle of loyalty and found family: a damaged young clairvoyant and a rootless, guarded man slowly learning to trust a makeshift crew. Intensity is moderate: there are gunfights and hand-to-hand fights with some bloodshed, a few brutal moments of mind-control violence and grim experiments on children, but the gore stays restrained. It suits viewers who want stylised sci-fi thrills with a strong sense of place and a dash of heart, and it is less suited to anyone seeking something gentle.
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