Beckett - Needs to be Shorter

 

Streaming on Netflix

     One of my tried and true tricks for determining if a movie on any given streaming service is worth my time is the 20-Minute-Test: If a film doesn’t grab my attention within the first 20 minutes, I don’t bother with the rest of it. However, there are times when the 20-Minute-Test can accidentally work against a films favor, because, on rare occasions, a film can seem as though it’s not going anywhere substantial until after the first 20 minutes, which is typically a sign that a films runtime is likely overinflated for its own good. 

Such is the case with today’s subject, Beckett: a Netflix original film that, while technically good and well performed, suffers from an overextended runtime with too many scenes that move slower than they should; this includes the opening which nearly bored me to sleep, and almost prompted me to give up on the film, until it finally managed to pick up a pulse just as the 20-Minute-Test was about to expire. Patience may be a necessity, but when it comes to cinematic entertainment, it can only go so far, even when the movie manages to make it all worth it (more or less.) 

The story follows a young couple, Beckett (John David Washington), and his girlfriend, April (Alicia Vikander), on vacation together in Greece. While driving to their next destination in the dead of night, John falls asleep at the wheel and crashes the car, injuring himself and tragically killing his girlfriend. After talking to the police about the accident, Beckett returns to the scene and struggles to come to terms with what happened, only for his emotionally compromised state to be rudely interrupted by, of all things, a mysterious woman trying to shoot him dead. As Beckett runs through the Greek wilderness for his life with bad guys on his tail hellbent on ending his life, he finds himself in the middle of a political conspiracy and, through his guilt, decides to do what he can to make things right. He may have been in the wrong place at the wrong time, but he’s determined to do the right thing for the right reasons, even if it puts his life in constant danger. 

For the most part, the film is pretty solid. The performances are well done, the script is mostly clever, and the scenery is pretty damn nice to observe and admire. The whole film lends itself to a classic 1970s style thriller in terms of style and presentation. John David Washington (son of Denzel Washington) may not yet have the same kind of dominant screen presence as his dad, but he seems to be on his way toward finding his own version of such a presence. I do look forward to seeing what more he has in store for us in the future. 

As I alluded to before, the biggest problem with the film is the runtime. Scenes move a bit too slow for their own good which only artificially inflates the films runtime. This is especially felt in the opening scenes which, though well performed, go on for way too long. If there was ever a case for the saying “less is more,” this is it! 

If you can manage to get past the slower pace of the opening scene, then your patience will be rewarded with an adequate thriller; though it would have been more satisfying if the runtime was brought down by at least thirty minutes. 

Worth a shot. 

Ladies & gentlemen, I am TheNorm; thank you all for reading.