Hypnotic, 2023.
Directed by Robert Rodriguez.
Starring Ben Affleck, Alice Braga, William Fichtner, J. D. Pardo, Jeff Fahey, Hala Finley, Dayo Okeniyi, Jackie Earle Haley, Kelly Frye, Melanie Hawkins, Derek Russo, Zane Holtz, Ruben Javier Caballero, Ryan Ryusaki, Sandy Avila, Ionie Olivia Nieves, Corina Calderon, Nikki Dixon, and Bonnie Discepolo.
SYNOPSIS:
A detective investigates a mystery involving his missing daughter and a secret government program.
Hypnotic is what happens when a filmmaker – in this case, writer/director Robert Rodriguez – known for style and almost no substance, let alone over substance, attempts to craft a mindbending thriller that, more than anything, feels like he binged Christopher Nolan’s filmography and tried to cram as many of those elements into his hypnosis centered action mystery.
A more direct assessment is simply saying that Hypnotic is lousy; it’s a true mess that is so determined to fake viewers out and pull the floorboards from underneath them that by the time the film reaches its third act, the only question worth asking is how anyone is supposed to care about any of this considering that every grand reveal somehow undercuts a sense of danger, logic, coherence, and fun.
It would be one thing if those twists were bonkers enough to the degree that all of the above doesn’t matter. However, nearly everything in Hypnotic is derivative of something better. What’s more frustrating is that Robert Rodriguez doesn’t even seem interested in putting his stylistic flair on the proceedings. Of all the things I could rip on Hypnotic for, that might be the most disappointing aspect; I wouldn’t even believe someone who told me Robert Rodriguez wrote (okay, Max Borenstein was also a co-writer) and directed this before being made aware of the fact.
The thriller stars Ben Affleck as Detective Danny Rourke (delivering a performance as confused as everyone watching), investigating a string of bank robberies connected to the kidnapping of his young daughter (Hala Finley). The man responsible for snatching her in broad daylight at the park has no recollection of ever doing so. Meanwhile, the shady government agent Dellrayne (a somewhat intimidating William Fichtner, which is about the most praise I can give anything here) appears to be hypnotizing others to either enter the bank vaults or cause distractions (a woman starts undressing and walks into traffic for just one of many unintentionally hilarious moments).
The puzzle brings Rourke to fortune-teller Diana Cruz (Alice Braga), who explains that telepathy is merely reading minds, whereas hypnosis involves staring at someone and unlocking someone with them (either through emotions or trauma) and then being able to manipulate them into doing one’s bidding. Cinematically, it amounts to goofy stares and characters unnaturally suddenly complying (also for reasons that will make your eyes roll into the back of your skull). Aside from one day leaning into some gnarly gore, Robert Rodriguez seems actively disinterested in giving these mechanics visual excitement or even a sense of humor. Nevertheless, they team up as she explains to Rourke that he is a dangerous agent in charge of an advanced mind control program. Throughout all this, Rourke also discovers he knows the power of hypnosis.
Robert Rodriguez does attempt to stylize hypnotizing by presenting it as an alternate reality construct, but the dark and muddled visuals are unpleasant to look at, while the creative art direction itself reminds one of a bootleg Mirror Dimension from Doctor Strange or a Christopher Nolan movie without a moderate budget. Still, that would be forgivable if the plot had something going for it beyond recycled clichés, predictability, actors who seemed to care about the material (to be fair, they were probably lost during shooting), or a single memorable bombastic set piece.
There is also no way to recommend Hypnotic for people to simply see the twists since they aren’t that clever and, more than anything, somehow water down whatever small reason there is to care about anything. The real power of hypnosis comes from Robert Rodriguez being able to get this movie made.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ / Movie: ★ ★
Robert Kojder is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association and the Critics Choice Association. He is also the Flickering Myth Reviews Editor. Check here for new reviews, follow my Twitter or Letterboxd, or email me at MetalGearSolid719@gmail.com
