While there's the occasional glimmer of something unique in The Rhythm Section, the direction and cast can only do so much to elevate what's otherwise a predictable thriller. Directed by Reed Morano (I Think We're Alone Now), the film is an adaptation of Mark Burnell's 1999 bestseller of the same name and centers on Stephanie (Blake Lively), whose family died in a plane crash three years earlier.
Now a heroin-addicted sex worker, she's approached by a journalist named Proctor (Raza Jaffrey), who reveals the tragedy that took her family's lives was actually cover for a terrorist act. Determined to get revenge, Stephanie receives guidance and training from Proctor's source, a former MI6 agent introduced only as B (Jude Law).
The screenplay, written by Burnell himself, is strictly by the numbers with twists that offer few surprises to anyone who's watched more than a couple of action thrillers. Occasionally the script raises interesting questions about the morality of revenge, the human cost of taking it and living with yourself after achieving violent goals. The characters grapple with these realities in interesting ways, and when the script focuses on these ideas, it shines. However, the rest of the story around it, while not bad, is not nearly as impressive or unique.
Each member of the main cast commits to their role, bringing depth to their characters. This might not have been the case with a lesser cast, as the script doesn't provide much in terms of fully fleshed-out characters. Lively gives Stephanie a certain amount of grimy but clear humanity that causes her to stand out from similar "revenge thriller" protagonists. She also imbues the character with realistic frailty, which makes every confrontation inherently tense.
Law is fun as B, giving the stock "retired and reluctant mentor" character a quiet but somber cheekiness that never goes too far and becomes parody. Rounding out the cast is Sterling K. Brown as Marc Serra, an information broker who becomes an associate of Stephanie's once she enters the field. Brown is given the least to do out of the core cast, but he still finds little flashes of character in Serra that make him interesting.
Morano's eye for visuals is at least decent for most of the film. There are moments where Morano lets the camera showcase the full world around a scene, giving it a haunting and memorable touch -- notably Stephanie's travels to find B are filled with fun and unique camerawork. Morano has worked primarily as a cinematographer and it shows.
The fight sequences feel derived from the Bourne school of action filmmaking, but it's the movie's willingness to linger on the ugly violence of those fights that make it stand out. The time spent on the brutality of these scenes separates them from the more stylized fights of other similar action-thriller franchises such as The Equalizer.
More impressive are the sequences where Morano indulges in long takes, such as a nearly comical training scene between B and Stephanie or a desperate car chase in the streets of Tangier. These scenes are highlights of the film, and are far more interesting than the mostly bland back-and-forth conversational sequences. The film looks its best when it goes big, so it's a shame that so much of the film refuses to reach that level or even strive for it with more regularity.
The worst thing that can really be said about The Rhythm Section is that it feels like the opening act to a compelling story, which makes a certain amount of sense once you remember that it's based on the first part of a lengthy book series. The film is constructed well enough by the filmmakers and the cast is solid, even when the story around them becomes predictable and cliched.
Yet, the movie isn't very interested in fully exploring the concepts it lays out. The Rhythm Section is a solid enough film, but it's a shame that it feels at times like more of a setup for something really compelling instead of being really compelling itself.
Based on the 1999 novel by Mark Burnell, The Rhythm Section is directed by Reed Morano (I Think We're Alone Now, The Handmaid's Tale). Starring Blake Lively, Jude Law and Sterling K. Brown, the film opens Friday nationwide.