Riddle (2013)

Riddle is a 2013 horror/thriller. It always feels strange to see The Weinstein Company in a film.

I really liked the actors… but it was mainly Diora Baird that I recognised. She was in Transit (2012), which I enjoyed, alongside Jim Caviezel and Elisabeth Röhm. She was also in The Virtuoso (2021), which is really good, in addition to the magnificent cast featuring Anthony Hopkins, Abbie Cornish, and Anson Mount.

Well, everyone makes mistakes, and I hate all the Texas Chainsaw Massacre films, so the fact that she was in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning (2006) didn’t make me happy. She’s also in the disastrous remake of an already bad film, Night of the Demons (2009). I haven’t seen 30 Days of Night: Dark Days (2010), but it looks pretty rubbish compared to the first one.

I totally understand why people say, ‘Rubbish and pointless! It starts from nothing and ends up nowhere…’!
This film, which has all the makings of a telly movie, is supposed to be a big disappointment… but…
I’m willing to be forgiving! Especially since it wasn’t successful at all and, having watched it a second time, I don’t think it’s that bad, even though it’s a thriller that’s far too messy to be really effective.

The two actresses are brilliant… the actors, a little less so.
The other girl is Elisabeth Harnois.
What is Val Kilmer doing here? Has he lost his way again?

In fact, it’s a film that wasn’t released in cinemas, and understandably so. It’s really not a great film, and Val Kilmer had increasingly disappointed us with his roles and choice of films, having got us so used to so much better. Examples? Willow (1988), The Doors (1991), True Romance (1993), The Saint (1997), and even Heat (1995).

The title has nothing to do with the film. It has nothing to do with a riddle. It’s just that in English, Riddle = Enigma… and the film takes place in Riddle!
But it’s a run-of-the-mill thriller… which is my favourite genre, but there’s nothing incredible about it. A run-of-the-mill kidnapping for a run-of-the-mill reunion!
I found this review that sums up what I’ve just said: ‘There’s no riddle. It’s like a drama film being called “Horror” just because the plot takes place in a town called Horror.’
Well said!
However, for more than three quarters of an hour, the film is quite good… but, as is often the case, it deteriorates… and doesn’t get much better towards the end. To be honest, the film is slow, but you want to know how it ends. The ending is relatively unsuccessful and ridiculous. In the end, you leave disappointed that you waited.

Once again: what a shame!
But I did say I would be lenient. There are far worse films out there, and this one doesn’t deserve to be put down so much. Despite its flaws, inconsistencies and lack of pace, I still enjoyed watching it.