Retribution (2023 film)
Retribution | |
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Directed by | Nimród Antal |
Screenplay by | Chris Salmanpour |
Based on | El desconocido by Alberto Marini |
Produced by |
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Starring | |
Cinematography | Flavio Labiano |
Edited by | Steven Mirkovich |
Music by | Harry Gregson-Williams |
Production companies |
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Distributed by |
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Release dates |
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Running time | 91 minutes |
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Language | English |
Budget | $20 million[2] |
Box office | $11.7 million[3][4] |
Retribution is a 2023 action thriller film directed by Nimród Antal and written by Chris Salmanpour. The film stars Liam Neeson, Noma Dumezweni, Lilly Aspell, Jack Champion, Embeth Davidtz and Matthew Modine.[5] It is the third remake of the 2015 Spanish film El desconocido, which follows a man (Neeson) who gets trapped in his car after receiving a threat that it will explode should he get out.
A co-production of France, Germany, Spain and the United States, Retribution was released in France on August 23, 2023 by StudioCanal, and in the United States on August 25 by Lionsgate and Roadside Attractions.
Premise
While driving his kids to school, Berlin-resident and financier Matt Turner is threatened by a mysterious bomber who calls him on a cell phone. Turner and his son and daughter must stay in the car or the bomber will detonate a device under the driver's seat.
Cast
- Liam Neeson as Matt Turner[6]
- Noma Dumezweni as Angela Brickmann
- Lilly Aspell as Emily Turner
- Jack Champion as Zach Turner
- Embeth Davidtz as Heather Turner
- Matthew Modine as Anders Muller
- Arian Moayed as Sylvain
Production
Retribution is an American, French, German and Spanish co-production by StudioCanal and Studio Babelsberg Motion Pictures. It was shot mainly at Babelsberg Studios in Potsdam and in the streets of Berlin, where the story takes place.[7][8]
Originally announced in 2017,[9] Neeson was confirmed to be starring in November 2020.[1][10][11][12] In May 2021, it was announced that Champion and Aspell were cast to portray the son and daughter respectively of Neeson's character.[13] In June 2021, it was announced that Modine, Davidtz and Moayed were cast in the film.[14] In July 2021, Deadline Hollywood reported that Modine completed his scenes that were filmed in Germany.[15] The film's score was composed by Harry Gregson-Williams.[16]
Release
In November 2022, Lionsgate Films acquired the distribution rights to the film for the United States, Canada and India from StudioCanal and The Picture Company, later collaborating with Roadside Attractions in the aforementioned territories and PVR Inox Pictures in India under a later deal to release the film.[17] The film was released in France on August 23, 2023, and was released in the United States on August 25, 2023.[5]
Reception
Box office
In the United States and Canada, Retribution was released alongside Gran Turismo, The Hill, and Golda, and was projected to gross $2–3 million from 1,750 theaters in its opening weekend.[18] The film made $1.3 million on its first day, and went on to debut to $3.3 million, finishing eighth.[2]
Critical response
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 25% of 71 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 4.5/10. The website's consensus reads: "Retribution may prove mildly diverting for hardcore fans of films depicting Liam Neeson as a parent in peril, but in most respects, this thriller is strictly standard stuff."[19] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 43 out of 100, based on 24 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.[20] Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "C" on an A+ to F scale, while those polled at PostTrak gave it a 54% overall positive score.[2]
In a mixed review for Vulture, Bilge Ebiri stated that "Neeson’s action movies often turn on his characters’ anxieties as a father and/or husband — sublimating his own tragic personal history into the realm of fictional motivation." and that, "Most of Retribution consists of three shots: a close-up of Matt, a close-up of his daughter, and a close-up of his son. But out of these simple building blocks and this nothing script, Antal extracts plenty of suspense and even emotion."[21]
Noel Murray, in the Los Angeles Times, found "The script is too flatly functional, weighed down by periodic info dumps where various people try to explain how Matt’s floundering business might connect to his current predicament.", adding that "Liam Neeson has done so many variations on the “angry dad” action hero that we can start dividing those movies into sub-genres." and that "While Retribution is far from Neeson’s best, it still mostly works, so long as you tune out the dialogue and focus on the hero’s twitchy face, waiting to see which will blow to smithereens first: his car or his patience."[22]
References
- ^ a b John Hopewell; Elsa Keslassy (November 25, 2020). "Liam Neeson Action Thriller 'Retribution' Near Sells Out International for Studiocanal – AFM (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved August 4, 2021.
- ^ a b c D'Alessandro, Anthony (August 28, 2023). "'Gran Turismo' Revs $17.4M, 'Barbie' $15.1M In Warner Bros & Sony Battle During National Cinema Day Weekend – Box Office". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 28, 2023.
- ^ "Retribution". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved September 8, 2023.
- ^ "Retribution". The Numbers. Nash Information Services, LLC. Retrieved September 8, 2022.
- ^ a b Moser, Zachary (May 18, 2023). "Retribution: Cast, Story Details & Everything We Know About The Liam Neeson Movie". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on May 24, 2023. Retrieved May 26, 2023.
- ^ "Retribution". ❮ KinoCheck (in German). Archived from the original on August 7, 2022. Retrieved August 7, 2022.
- ^ Jana Haase (July 5, 2021). "Liam Neeson dreht in Babelsberg". Der Tagesspiegel Online. Archived from the original on October 25, 2021. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
- ^ Mark Pittelkau (July 10, 2021). "Retribution in Berlin". Bild. Archived from the original on October 25, 2021. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
- ^ Mike Fleming Jr. (May 9, 2017). "Liam Neeson To Star In Studiocanal's 'Retribution'". Deadline. Archived from the original on March 24, 2023. Retrieved June 28, 2023.
- ^ Ben Pearson (November 9, 2020). "'Retribution': Liam Neeson to Growl His Way Through a New Riff on 'Speed'". /Film. Archived from the original on August 4, 2021. Retrieved August 4, 2021.
- ^ Jeff Sneider (November 9, 2020). "Liam Neeson to Star in Remake of 'Speed'-Like Spanish Thriller 'Retribution'". Collider. Archived from the original on August 4, 2021. Retrieved August 4, 2021.
- ^ James White (November 9, 2020). "Liam Neeson On For Action Thriller Retribution". Empire. Retrieved August 4, 2021.
- ^ Anthony D'Alessandro (May 24, 2021). "Studiocanal Liam Neeson Thriller 'Retribution' Adds Jack Champion & Lilly Aspell". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 29, 2022. Retrieved August 4, 2021.
- ^ Anthony D'Alessandro (June 15, 2021). "Liam Neeson Studiocanal Thriller 'Retribution' Adds Matthew Modine, Embeth Davidtz & Arian Moayed". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on August 4, 2021. Retrieved August 4, 2021.
- ^ David Robb (July 30, 2021). "SAG-AFTRA Presidential Candidate Matthew Modine Says Union "Cannot Survive" Two More Years Of Current Leadership: Q&A". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on August 27, 2021. Retrieved August 27, 2021.
He [Modine] responded on Thursday after returning from Germany, where he was on location filming Retribution with Liam Neeson.
- ^ "Harry Gregson-Williams Scoring Nimrod Antal's 'Retribution'". FilmMusicReporter. June 7, 2022. Archived from the original on June 30, 2023. Retrieved June 30, 2023.
- ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (November 4, 2022). "Lionsgate Gets 'Retribution', Wins North America, India Rights On Liam Neeson Thriller From Studiocanal & The Picture Company". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 15, 2022. Retrieved June 30, 2023.
- ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (August 22, 2023). "How 'Gran Turismo' Could Take The Checkered Flag At Weekend Box Office – Preview". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on August 23, 2023. Retrieved August 23, 2023.
- ^ "Retribution". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved September 5, 2023.
- ^ "Retribution". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved September 3, 2023.
- ^ Ebiri, Bilge (August 25, 2023). "Liam Neeson Is Stuck in a Car and All Is Right With the World". Vulture. Retrieved September 7, 2023.
- ^ Murray, Noel (August 25, 2023). "Review: 'Retribution' straps Liam Neeson in for the same vehicle, durable if familiar". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 7, 2023.
External links
- Retribution at IMDb
- 2023 films
- 2023 action thriller films
- 2020s American films
- 2020s English-language films
- 2020s French films
- 2020s German films
- 2020s Spanish films
- American action thriller films
- American remakes of French films
- American remakes of Spanish films
- Atresmedia Cine films
- English-language French films
- English-language German films
- English-language Spanish films
- Films directed by Nimród Antal
- Films scored by Harry Gregson-Williams
- Films set in Berlin
- Films shot at Babelsberg Studios
- Films shot in Berlin
- French action thriller films
- German action thriller films
- Lionsgate films
- Spanish action thriller films
- StudioCanal films
- Vaca Films films