by Joel Harley
Ben Affleck sleepwalks through a Robert Rodriguez version of a Christopher Nolan movie in the director’s Hypnotic – a dazed, stumbling take on Inception or Memento.
Once known for his bold and brash action films, the Robert Rodriguez of Planet Terror and From Dusk Till Dawn now feels like a faint memory. Instead, Hypnotic veers closer to his contributions to The Book of Boba Fett and The Mandalorian, with Affleck mumbling his way through a performance so distantly he might as well have a bucket on his head.
Affleck is gruff cop Danny Rourke, haunted by the disappearance of his young daughter. Investigating a bizarre heist, Rourke comes into conflict with mysterious hypnotist Dellrayne (William Fichtner) – who appears to be able to Derren Brown himself into bank vaults and out of trouble. Determined to bring Dellrayne down, Rourke enlists the help of fortune-teller Diana (Alice Braga). But as their investigation deepens, it becomes clear that Dellrayne may hold the key to finding Rourke’s daughter.
A dingy, often ugly sci-fi thriller, Hypnotic shows glimpses of the old Robert Rodriguez in its Texas setting and grizzled cast. For once, Trejo and Cheech Marin sit this out, but Jeff Fahey (Planet Terror) and Jackie Earle Haley (Alita: Battle Angel) bring some texture to this world. Affleck may be in sleepy mode, but his depressed countenance and chiselled, hangdog appearance certainly fit the mood. Braga, meanwhile, appears to be the only one actually awake throughout the whole thing.
There’s a solid game of cat-and-mouse in there somewhere, with the always-reliable Fichtner impressing as the elusive villain. As it inevitably switches gears into sci-fi territory (via a budget version of an Inception set-piece), the story loses sight of that, devolving into a ludicrous conspiracy and a tiresome version of Inception’s Spinning Top.
Hypnotic is out in cinemas across the UK now.
