Two petty thieves are thrust into a dangerous world a sadistic individual after they choose the wrong house to burgle in Bad Samaritan.
Directed by Dean Devlin and starring David Tennant (Doctor Who, Broadchurch) and Robert Sheehan (Misfits), Bad Samaritan follows struggling photographer Sean (Sheehan) who, with his friend Derek, has turned to robbing people’s house whilst they are out dining by using their valet job as a front. But Sean makes the huge mistake of targeting the egotistical Cale Erendreich (Tennant) and gets more than he bargained for and must settle on a plan of action when he discovers that a girls life is on the line.
Even though Bad Samaritan follows a relatively straight forward cat-and-mouse plot that audiences have seen before, it exceeds expectations in its executions and central performances. Sheehan commits to giving a realistic take on a young man who is trying to make ends meet whilst on the opposite end of the spectrum, David Tennant delivers, what I believe to be, one of his greatest performances of his entire career. Erendreich is a deep and disturbed character whose sinister actions are enhanced by Tennant’s expert execution of a commanding on-screen presence.
In relation to the pacing, the film always manages to keep audiences on the edge of their seat. This is accomplished by Devlin’s attention to detail when presenting the narrative from the perspective of both the antagonist and the protagonist. However, some of the plot points towards the third act of the film do feel a little bit far fetched but that can be forgiven by Tennant’s portrayal alone.
For those who have yet to see David Tennant in a villainous role, this is the best place to start. Couple that with a gripping tale with interesting characters, Bad Samaritan manages to deliver one of the better thrillers of 2018.
4 STARS OUT OF 5
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