Bullet Points: Beckett (2021)
Netflix is continuously releasing content from all over the world. This time we are going to Greece to check in on Beckett. Look for Beckett globally on Friday August the 13th streaming exclusively on Netflix…
- The Plot: An American on vacation in Greece finds himself in hot water and way over his head after a tragic car accident. Now he must solve the clues to a political conspiracy that he has no idea he is even involved in. Beckett stars John David Washington in the titular role, Boyd Holbrook, Vicky Krieps and Alicia Vikander. Beckett Is directed by Ferdinando Cito Filomarino.
- The Accidental Hero: John David Washington’s Beckett is one of the clumsiest action heroes in recent memory. After the opening, he spends the rest of the film tripping, stumbling and falling all over Greece. I am guessing it has to be the result of the PTSD from his tragic car accident, and the fact he is just “some random guy” and not John Rambo. Ferdinando Cito Filomarino is not an action director. He is one of those directors you would expect to find his latest feature screening at your local art house cinema. Beckett is a change-of-pace film for him. I have a sneaking suspicion that pretentious critics will be harsher on Beckett than other critics. Beckett has a chance to be embraced by the action community, and at the same time, introduce more people to the works of Ferdinando Cito Filomarino.
- All Beckett All the Time: Beckett is John David Washington’s film. He is in almost every scene. You can easily make the case that both Boyd Holbrook and Alicia Vikander are not used enough in their supporting roles. Vikander has most of her scenes at the beginning, and Holbrook is not featured until the final act. A lot of your enjoyment will depend on how much you embrace John David Washington. He is Denzel’s son, but he is also his own man. I could picture Denzel in the role of Beckett if the movie was released in 1991 instead of 2021.
- Final Thoughts: Beckett is a wild ride across Greece. The political conspiracy is about as razor thin as they come. Beckett’s glue is held together by John David Washington, but at times, Beckett comes close to falling apart, but somehow, Beckett makes it to the finish line with a satisfying conclusion.
- Grade: B
