No Good Deed Movie Review

“No good deed goes unpunished as the saying goes, what could go punished?” – The makers of “No Good Deed”  

A stormy evening, all the phones aren’t working…there is an escape convict on the loose. Who you gonna call? …wait, wrong movie. “No Good Deed” is the latest thriller (if that’s what you want to call it) to grace the silver screens. A story about a sadistic maniac Colin Evans (played here by Idris Elba) who reluctantly escapes from prison (yeah right!), only to end up on the front steps of one frightful mother Terri Granger (Taraji P Henson) on a night where all the cards fall exactly into place. Thinking she is helping a “neighbor”. Something tells me he doesn’t just want sugar.

 One thing leads to another, GASP! he’s a killer on the loose. Maybe Terri’s DA background and police skills will save her?! WRONG. Maybe the phone will work when we call 911? WRONG. Maybe a decent story can be injected into such a basic concept that has been told time and time again? WRONG. “No Good Deed” is a play by play of every other home invasion movie to EVER hit the market. Screen Gems (the studio) also believes that a shocking narrative in the ending, a so-called “twist” if you will..could redefine your moviegoing experience. So much so, that just twenty four hours before it was to be screened for critics and audiences, they pulled the plug as to “keep the ending off the internet”. They also tweeted out “Get ready for the twist of a lifetime”.

 Yes, there is a major twist in “No Good Deed” that heightens things a tad, and to be honest I couldn’t guess the ending if I wanted. Sadly, it’s too little, too late. At this point the audience is already guessing the next move. Director Sam Miller can keep a pace going (barley) as the film staggers across the 85 minute running time. The film kind of comes at a bad time. All the controversy right now with Ray Rice beating his girlfriend in an elevator..yet we are paying to watch Idris Elba brutally attack women and kill them. A strange society we are living in. Clearly the movie is fiction and has no ties with ESPN.

 Aside from the obvious there are numerous issues wrong with “No Good Deed”, and the performances are not one of them. I believed Henson as the strong-willed mother. Too bad her character isn’t well written enough to make the correct decisions. You would think, her character being a retired deputy DA, she would know her fair share of shady looking, homicidal killers. In her defense..it was Idris Elba (who can resist him?).  Elba is chilling with his deep Batman voice-esq that Christian Bale could take notes from.

 Once the film crosses the hour mark, it was done and over with. Maybe Hollywood can learn that you can’t keep recycling old matter and condensing them into metal. Stay in and watch better made thrillers “The Strangers”, “Disturbia” even the remake of “The Stepfather”. Unless you wish to see loose written characters, choppy camera shots, slow motion beat-down sequences and a soft PG13 rating to keep the youngsters in line. The music cues are right on point to get the ole’ heart pumping. Except, mine never did.

 

D

Directed By Sam Miller

Rated: PG13

Runtime: 85 mins

Studio: Screen Gems (Sony)

Release Date: September 12th 2014

 

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