Beckett (2021) - Reaction And Discussion

[Herbert Playz]

I really really wanted to like this movie. For the most part it had enough mystery and unanswered questions to hold my interest but it never really moved beyond that. John David Washington and Alicia Vikander are the big names in this one and I feel like Alicia Vikander should've received some more screen time. She didn't really have a chance to shine, the script really didn't give her any big moments. Considering her roles in Tomb Raider and Man from Uncle her lack of big moments is extremely disappointing.

The way the film is shot, its like its supposed to be an action thriller movie. But in my opinion it just doesn't move with good pacing. Again and again it starts to speed up then it slows down, it felt uneven. There is a political element to it but its really in the background for most of the movie and doesn't become relevant until the end.

I also wasn't really sold on John and Alicia's relationship. I felt like they needed some more development. To this day my favorite role in terms of acting for John was in Ballers. I thought he absolutely nailed his character. He had a ton of charisma and was full of confidence. In Beckett though I just don't feel the same charisma. I really enjoyed his role in Tenet but I felt like that was more a result of the plot and setting.

I think in most good thrillers there is a well defined big problem that is threatening to the main character and that was sorely missing in this movie. I guess my biggest problem with Beckett was that it felt too small, the stakes at the beginning were to undefined its hard to put into words but this movie is missing something.

I will say this though. Surprisingly, there is a good pay off at the very end. It's short and sweet and the path that the movie takes to get there is a bit ridiculous but at least it exists. If you're the curious type and are looking for something new to watch go ahead and take a chance on this one, you'll at least want to see how it ends.

What did you think of Beckett?