Untraceable – 2008
A fairly uninspiring thriller which did little to raise the bar for tension, in some cases it could be said that we have seen it all before which is a shame as the general plot was a good one. It was certainly a little predictable in places and you were sure you could second guess the actors as to what was about to happen.
Untraceable has horror undertones but doesn’t elaborate on them enough and you almost feel like they are rushing through the scenes and story to get to an ending that is ultimately a big disappointment.
Diane Lane, a worthy and well recognizable female actor is an FBI agent tasked with finding a serial killer who posts his victims up on the internet, and uses the public to assist. The more hits the site gets the quicker the victim is dispatched. There is a definite Saw feel about the way in which the victims are dealt with, but unlike Saw this killer does not give his victims a chance to escape.
Script wise it is well written, with the internet a dangerous place even for the more naive it is a hunting ground for evil and those who choose to exploit the innocent. Using the internet as a backdrop was a good idea, it provided a unique setting for an elaborate crime to take place. The technical jargon used would make even an internet novice think that it could be beliveable.
Director Gregory Hoblit has a good eye for the thriller genre having had success with Primal Fear and Fracture in the past. Here though he takes his eye off the ball momentarily, introducing us to the killer only 30 minutes into the film was a mistake and I feel that had it been drawn out a little more it would have made for a slightly better ending.
It’s not awful by any means but it lacks something more conclusive, and feels rushed in places.
View the trailer
Rating:
(2.5/5)
Visit the IMDb page for Untraceable
DVD Extras: Audio commentary with director Gregory Hoblit, a number of featurettes including Tracking Untraceable, a look into the various aspects of the film and script.
Blu-ray Extras: Pretty much the same as the DVD version, same featurettes as well as the audio commentary
Please feel free to comment on this film, I would love to know what you think and I will do my best to respond!
