Detained (2024)

Detained (2024)

I could completely destroy this film. There’s something really ridiculous about it. It’s meant to be subtle, but it’s far less subtle than it should be. The director must think he’s done a masterstroke and elevated himself to the rank of genius, when he’s really just a copycat!

The story seemed very interesting. It sounded like a good mind-fuck. Not like Cube (1997), but more like Exam (2009), which has to be my favourite of the genre.

But, in fact, this film goes in a different direction. A direction well known to fans of the 90s.
“Detained” is reminiscent of a lot of other films, but of course it’s not as good! I think it’s on a par with Deceiver (1997), if not slightly inferior. I said Deceiver was a bit of a dud… but a good film nonetheless! The problem is that it’s too close to The Usual Suspects (1995), which had already pulled off its master stroke two years earlier. So ‘Detained’ is starting to feel like a copy of a copy.

I think this film can be enjoyed by people who haven’t seen those films. For others, it’s very difficult. Or it’s going to be very hard.

1997 saw another masterpiece hit the screens. Indeed, Suicide Kings was the stroke of genius that Detained also brings to mind.

So, at the risk of repeating myself, on paper it looked too good. But above all I watched it for Abbie Cornish, whom I adore and who is one of those actresses who never really looks old.

You might think that she doesn’t play very well in this film, but alas, I could feel the end coming. And because I trust her, I knew she was going to pull through. Of course, those who don’t know her and stop the film in the middle because of boredom won’t be able to tell.

This excellent actress starred in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri (2017) with a stellar cast including Frances McDormand, Woody Harrelson, Sam Rockwell and even Peter Dinklage!

She was in The Virtuoso (2021) alongside the excellent Anson Mount, Anthony Hopkins and David Morse.

I loved Solace (2015) too, where she reunited with Anthony Hopkins, but also joined by the fabulous duo of Colin Farrell & Jeffrey Dean Morgan.

Limitless (2011) was a film I really enjoyed. Abbie starred Bradley Cooper with Robert De Niro in tow.

Sucker Punch (2011) is an important film, whether you like it or not. As for Seven Psychopaths (2012), it’s a comedy to see once. It’s not devoid of violence, given that it’s still about dangerous criminals, but completely bonkers.

In Candy (2005), Cornish had the chance to rub shoulders with Geoffrey Rush and especially Heath Ledger. She even sang the song Once Upon A Time with the band Original Score.

Right on! I think you’ve understood how much I like Abbie Cornish! And this film rests on her shoulders. This thriller remains a shambles that does her career no favours, despite her performance. I think a lot of people avoided this film or just didn’t hear about it, because it must have effectively flown under the radar.

All the other actors around her are decent, but nothing more. None of them is transcendent. It’s a shame, both for the film and for the director, who must have loved many of the films I’ve listed and wanted to add his own touch. Unfortunately, it’s a bit of a flop.

The first few minutes of this in camera thriller are intriguing, but very quickly everything becomes fake. The rest of the plot deteriorates, becoming an implausible de-escalation, rather badly staged and sometimes badly acted, which I didn’t believe in.
Rebecca wakes up in police custody, not knowing the reason for her arrest. A black hole in an apparently eventful evening, since the indictment is serious. In a state of confusion, she must quickly regain her lucidity to understand what is really going on. The concept is very good, but it was obvious that it couldn’t last. Not in these circumstances, at least, with such an obvious lack of subtlety, which very often seems intentional.

Felipe Mucci sinks his psychological thriller by revealing the truth too quickly. The stakes change, the dynamic evolves, but the interest remains thanks to a number of revelations and numerous twists. If logic and coherence are forgotten, particularly in the final act, this remains a kind of honest B-movie that’s entertaining and fun to follow.

The first half of this quasi-closed-door thriller is intriguing and quickly arouses interest. The second half is less subtle, going off on a tangent with a series of improbable situations, but the ending, though successful, is rather expected, except for those who have seen very little of this kind of film.