Destroyer (2018 film): Difference between revisions
→Plot: Fixed some bad grammar. Tags: Mobile edit Mobile web edit |
Jim Kinnaird (talk | contribs) Have deleted 'Sixth Street Viaduct' which was clearly NOT the location of the fatal meeting of Bell and Silas. I have entered the correct location, Bowtie Park, which is clearly named in the text message in the film at approx. 1 hour 38 mins. Pictures of Bowtie Park on the California State Parks website also clearly match the scene in the film. |
||
Line 54: | Line 54: | ||
[[Flashback (narrative)|Flashbacks]] reveal that Erin and Chris developed a romantic relationship while undercover, with Erin eventually becoming pregnant, later having their daughter, Shelby. At Erin's behest, they decided to become legitimate participants in a bank robbery and planned to take their shares of the heist, report to their superiors that they lost contact with the gang, and eventually quit the force. The robbery was botched when a dye pack exploded in one of the bags, and Silas killed the bank teller who accidentally placed it. When Chris attempted to intervene, he was shot and killed by Silas. After crashing the van in a dumpster and seriously injuring Toby, Erin hid her share of the heist and returned to policing, disclosing neither her original plan nor her share of the heist. |
[[Flashback (narrative)|Flashbacks]] reveal that Erin and Chris developed a romantic relationship while undercover, with Erin eventually becoming pregnant, later having their daughter, Shelby. At Erin's behest, they decided to become legitimate participants in a bank robbery and planned to take their shares of the heist, report to their superiors that they lost contact with the gang, and eventually quit the force. The robbery was botched when a dye pack exploded in one of the bags, and Silas killed the bank teller who accidentally placed it. When Chris attempted to intervene, he was shot and killed by Silas. After crashing the van in a dumpster and seriously injuring Toby, Erin hid her share of the heist and returned to policing, disclosing neither her original plan nor her share of the heist. |
||
In the present, Erin visits Ethan, Shelby's adoptive father, and later talks with Shelby. Erin visits a [[self storage]] unit to retrieve her $300,000+ share of the stolen money, but finds that all but $11,000 is stained with dye. Silas sends a text message to Petra's phone, instructing her to meet him at the |
In the present, Erin visits Ethan, Shelby's adoptive father, and later talks with Shelby. Erin visits a [[self storage]] unit to retrieve her $300,000+ share of the stolen money, but finds that all but $11,000 is stained with dye. Silas sends a text message to Petra's phone, instructing her to meet him at the Bowtie Park <ref>http://parks.ca.gov/?page_id=30530</ref>, where Erin confronts and shoots him, avenging Chris. She returns the next morning to find the police investigating the crime scene: the John Doe murder investigation depicted in the first scene of the film. With Silas dead, Erin gives evidence of her guilt{{snd}}where he can find Petra, a stained bill, and the key to her storage unit{{snd}}to her partner, Antonio. Erin has been bleeding internally for hours, from injuries she sustained during a beating by DiFranco's bodyguard and in her fight with Petra, and she dies while sitting in her car. |
||
==Cast== |
==Cast== |
Revision as of 21:46, 25 August 2021
Destroyer | |
---|---|
![]() Theatrical release poster | |
Directed by | Karyn Kusama |
Written by | |
Produced by |
|
Starring | |
Cinematography | Julie Kirkwood |
Edited by | Plummy Tucker |
Music by | Theodore Shapiro |
Production companies |
|
Distributed by | Mirror Releasing |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 123 minutes[1] |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | $9–12.4 million[2][3] |
Box office | $5.6 million[4] |
Destroyer is a 2018 American neo-noir crime drama film directed by Karyn Kusama and written by Phil Hay and Matt Manfredi. It stars Nicole Kidman, Toby Kebbell, Tatiana Maslany, Scoot McNairy, Bradley Whitford, and Sebastian Stan, and follows a former undercover police officer who takes revenge against members of a gang, years after her case was blown.
The film had its world premiere at the Telluride Film Festival on August 31, 2018 and was released in the United States on December 25, 2018, by Annapurna Pictures. It received generally positive response from critics who mainly praised Kidman's performance but was a box office disappointment grossing $5.6 million on a $9–12.4 million budget. At the 76th Golden Globe Awards, Kidman was nominated for Best Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama.
Plot
LAPD detective Erin Bell arrives on the scene of a John Doe murder and informs the responding officers that she knows the identity of the murderer.
At the police station, Erin receives a $100 bill stained from a dye pack in an unmarked envelope. Using a contact at the FBI, she confirms that the bill is from a bank robbery committed by a California gang sixteen years prior that she and her former partner, FBI agent Chris, were embedded in as undercover officers. She tells her superiors that she believes the bill to be proof that the gang's leader, Silas, is once again active.
Erin works her way through the remaining members of the gang in order to find Silas. She begins with Toby, who was in prison but is now gravely ill and living with his mother on compassionate release. She gives him a handjob in exchange for the location of Arturo, a member of the gang atoning for his past crimes by offering pro bono legal services to immigrants. Arturo provides Erin with the location of Dennis DiFranco, a lawyer who launders the multi-million dollar haul from the original robbery and from whom Erin deduces that Silas is active again because the money from that heist is almost gone. After Erin thrashes him, DiFranco gives her the location of the next money drop, which is performed by Silas' girlfriend Petra, who has developed a severe drug addiction. Erin tracks Petra, eventually intervening in a bank robbery committed by Silas' new gang. She and Petra brutally injure each other in a fight, ending with Erin abducting Petra.
Flashbacks reveal that Erin and Chris developed a romantic relationship while undercover, with Erin eventually becoming pregnant, later having their daughter, Shelby. At Erin's behest, they decided to become legitimate participants in a bank robbery and planned to take their shares of the heist, report to their superiors that they lost contact with the gang, and eventually quit the force. The robbery was botched when a dye pack exploded in one of the bags, and Silas killed the bank teller who accidentally placed it. When Chris attempted to intervene, he was shot and killed by Silas. After crashing the van in a dumpster and seriously injuring Toby, Erin hid her share of the heist and returned to policing, disclosing neither her original plan nor her share of the heist.
In the present, Erin visits Ethan, Shelby's adoptive father, and later talks with Shelby. Erin visits a self storage unit to retrieve her $300,000+ share of the stolen money, but finds that all but $11,000 is stained with dye. Silas sends a text message to Petra's phone, instructing her to meet him at the Bowtie Park [5], where Erin confronts and shoots him, avenging Chris. She returns the next morning to find the police investigating the crime scene: the John Doe murder investigation depicted in the first scene of the film. With Silas dead, Erin gives evidence of her guilt – where he can find Petra, a stained bill, and the key to her storage unit – to her partner, Antonio. Erin has been bleeding internally for hours, from injuries she sustained during a beating by DiFranco's bodyguard and in her fight with Petra, and she dies while sitting in her car.
Cast
- Nicole Kidman as Erin Bell
- Toby Kebbell as Silas Howe
- Tatiana Maslany as Petra
- Scoot McNairy as Ethan
- Bradley Whitford as Dennis DiFranco
- Sebastian Stan as Chris
- Beau Knapp as Jay
- Jade Pettyjohn as Shelby Bell
- Kenley Smyth as Young Shelby Bell
- James Jordan as Toby
- Toby Huss as Gil Lawson
- Zach Villa as Arturo Guerrero
- Shamier Anderson as Antonio
- Kelvin Han Yee as Lieutenant Oshima
- Natalia Cordova-Buckley as Detective Gavras
- Jan Hoag as Toby’s mother
- Chris Fiore as Ice Cream Shop Customer
Production
In August 2017, Nicole Kidman entered into talks to star in the film with Karyn Kusama directing, with the casting confirmed in October. Rocket Science helped arrange the financing and is repping international sales. [6][7] In November, Tatiana Maslany, Sebastian Stan, Bradley Whitford, Toby Kebbell, and Scoot McNairy were added to the cast, and filming commenced in Los Angeles in early December, with the rest of the cast filled out with the additions of Beau Knapp, Jade Pettyjohn, Toby Huss, Zach Villa, and James Jordan.[8][9][10]
Release
In May 2018, Annapurna Pictures acquired distribution rights to the film.[11] It had its world premiere at the Telluride Film Festival on August 31, 2018.[12][13] It was also screened at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival, in the Platform program.[14] It was also screened at AFI Fest on November 13, 2018.[15] It was released on December 25, 2018.[16]
Reception
Box office
Destroyer made $1.5 million in the United States, and $4 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $5.5 million.[4]
The film made $58,572 from three theaters in its opening weekend, a six-day total of $115,661.[17]
Critical response
On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 73% based on 266 reviews, with an average rating of 6.70/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Destroyer's grueling narrative is as uncompromising as Nicole Kidman's central performance, which adds extra layers to a challenging film that leaves a lingering impact."[18] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 62 out of 100, based on 44 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[19]
Peter Debruge of Variety and Brooke Marine of W both found Kidman "unrecognizable" in the role and Debruge added that "she disappears into an entirely new skin, rearranging her insides to fit the character’s tough hide",[20] whereas Marine highlighted Kidman's method acting.[21]
Accolades
Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipients | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Golden Globes | January 6, 2019 | Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama | Nicole Kidman | Nominated | [22] |
Los Angeles Online Film Critics Society | January 9, 2019 | Best Actress | Nominated | [23] | |
Satellite Awards | February 17, 2019 | Best Actress in Motion Picture – Drama | Nominated | [24] | |
Noir Film Festival | December 9, 2018 | Special Mention | Won | [25] | |
Black Lion | Destroyer | Nominated | |||
Nevada Film Critics Society | December 19, 2018 | Best Actress (tied with Toni Collette for Hereditary) | Nicole Kidman | Won | [26] |
References
- ^ "Destroyer". Toronto International Film Festival. Retrieved August 8, 2018.
- ^ Smallwood, Christine (December 20, 2018). "The Filmmaker Karyn Kusama Explores the Many Dimensions of Women's Rage". The New York Times. Retrieved December 25, 2018.
- ^ "Feature Films: A Profile of Production" (PDF). FilmLA: 25. March 2020. Retrieved March 4, 2020.
- ^ a b "Destroyer (2018)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved March 26, 2019.
- ^ http://parks.ca.gov/?page_id=30530
- ^ "Nicole Kidman To Star In Karyn Kusama's 'Destroyer'". The Playlist. 2017-08-08. Retrieved 2018-07-09.
- ^ Hipes, Patrick (2017-10-04). "Nicole Kidman To Star In Karyn Kusama L.A. Crime Thriller 'Destroyer' With 30WEST Financing". Deadline. Retrieved 2018-07-09.
- ^ Busch, Anita (2017-11-15). "Tatiana Maslany, Sebastian Stan Join Nicole Kidman In 'Destroyer'". Deadline. Retrieved 2018-07-09.
- ^ N'Duka, Amanda (2017-11-28). "Bradley Whitford, Toby Kebbell, Scoot McNairy Board Nicole Kidman Starring Thriller 'Destroyer'". Deadline. Retrieved 2018-07-09.
- ^ N'Duka, Amanda (2017-12-04). "Beau Knapp, Jade Pettyjohn, Toby Huss & More Cast In Karyn Kusama's 'Destroyer'". Deadline. Retrieved 2018-07-09.
- ^ Wiseman, Andreas (2018-05-14). "Cannes All-Nighter: Annapurna Wins U.S. Rights To Nicole Kidman Crime-Thriller 'Destroyer'". Deadline. Retrieved 2018-07-09.
- ^ Tapley, Kristopher (August 30, 2018). "'First Man,' 'Front Runner' and 'Roma' Among 2018 Telluride Film Festival Selections". Variety. Retrieved August 30, 2018.
- ^ "Telluride Film Festival Program Guide" (PDF). Telluride Film Festival. Retrieved August 30, 2018.
- ^ Vlessing, Etan (August 8, 2018). "Toronto: Nicole Kidman Starrer 'Destroyer,' Alex Ross Perry's 'Her Smell' Join Festival Lineup". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 8, 2018.
- ^ Hammond, Pete (October 11, 2018). "AFI Fest Adds Gala Screenings 'Green Book', 'Widows', World Premiere Of Netflix's 'Bird Box' With Sandra Bullock And 'The Kominsky Method' TV Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 11, 2018.
- ^ "Destroyer". Variety. Retrieved August 14, 2018.
- ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (December 30, 2018). "'Aquaman' Sailing To $52M+ 2nd Weekend; $189M+ Cume Pacing Ahead Of 'Doctor Strange' & 'Guardians Of The Galaxy'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 30, 2018.
- ^ "Destroyer (2018)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved January 25, 2021.
- ^ "Destroyer reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved January 31, 2019.
- ^ Debruge, Peter (1 September 2018). "Telluride Film Review: Nicole Kidman in 'Destroyer'". Variety. Retrieved 3 September 2018.
- ^ Marine, Brooke (28 November 2018). "Nicole Kidman Stayed in Character as a Cop the Entire Time She Filmed Destroyer". W. Retrieved 7 January 2019.
- ^ "2018 Nominees" (PDF). HFPA. November 2018. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2018-12-07. Retrieved 2018-12-06.
- ^ "Top Honors at L.A. Online Film Critics Society Awards". The Hollywood Reporter. January 2019.
- ^ "2018 Nominees". International Press Academy. November 2018. Archived from the original on 2018-11-29. Retrieved 2018-11-30.
- ^ "Noir in Festival 2018: il palmarès della ventottesima edizione". ComingSoon.it.
- ^ "The Nevada Film Critics Society's 2018 Awards for Achievement in Film". Nevada Film Critics Society. December 2018.
26. ^ Jacob Krueger Podcast Destroyer: How To Use Flashbacks In Your Script
External links
- 2018 films
- 2018 crime drama films
- 2010s gang films
- 2010s police films
- English-language films
- American films
- American films about revenge
- American crime drama films
- American gang films
- American neo-noir films
- American nonlinear narrative films
- American police detective films
- Annapurna Pictures films
- Fictional portrayals of the Los Angeles Police Department
- Films about bank robbery
- Films directed by Karyn Kusama
- Films produced by Phil Hay (screenwriter)
- Films produced by Matt Manfredi
- Films scored by Theodore Shapiro
- Films set in Los Angeles
- Films shot in Los Angeles
- Films with screenplays by Phil Hay (screenwriter)
- Films with screenplays by Matt Manfredi