TL;DR – While it had a strong start, inconsistent dialogue and characterisation eventually led to me disconnecting from the narrative.

Post-Credit Scene – There is no post-credit scene.

Disclosure – I was sent a screener of this film.

Misdirection Review Introduction

In the world of cinema, there are these character actors who, when you see them pop up in a film, you know you are going to have a good time. Today, we get to look at a film that has not one but two of these gems in Olga Kurylenko and Frank Grillo, and get to see how they roll in a tight thriller.

So, to set the scene, we open as two dubious characters, Sara Black (Olga Kurylenko) & Jason Wright (Oliver Trevena), hack into the security system of philanthropist David Blume (Frank Grillo). This is their last heist, and they want to go out on a high note and finally pay off the debt that hangs over their head. They had the heist scheduled down to the minute, but what they didn’t plan on was their mark coming home early and catching them in the act.

What Worked

One of the things Misdirection gets right is the opening setup. That build-up to the first gunshot was full of tension. People creeping through a darkened house, someone coming home to find they are being robbed, and the cat-and-mouse chase. All of these come together to create a compelling opening drive. All of this is helped by a musical score that pulsates in a way that drives that tension each moment. Frank Grillo, sitting there trying to play them off against each other, buying himself the precious time he needs, while Olga Kurylenko clearly has other motives that she has not clued her partner into, is a mood. Also, having the bulk of the film set in one location, where you can get the flow of all the geography, helps boost the foundation of a film like this.

What Didn’t

Unfortunately, one of the things you see from the start, well, hear, is that the dialogue is not quite where it needed to be. Part of the problem is the film already had a hard sell, making the thieves the relatable part of the story, the characters you want to barrack for. So, the lack of strong dialogue makes this grey, nuanced story fall flat on its face. It creates an odd dynamic between all the cast that impacts the entire story. This problem permeates the film, and eventually, I found myself completely disconnected. Once you are disconnected, you lose the suspension of disbelief, and you start seeing things like why they are concerned about not leaving a trace when fingerprints are everywhere.   

Recommendation

In the end, do we recommend Misdirection? Unfortunately, I don’t think I can. While the film had a strong start that brought me in, it could not hold my attention throughout the runtime. Alas, once you disconnect from a narrative, it takes a lot to reconnect you, and Misdirection never got that chance.

Have you watched Misdirection? Let us know what you thought in the comments below. If you liked Misdirection, we would recommend Ambulance to you because, while it is not quite the same, it does have that energetic drive with morally complicated characters that pulls you all the way to the end.  

By Brian MacNamara: You can follow Brian on Bluesky at @Tldrmovrev, when he’s not chatting about Movies and TV, he’ll be talking about International Relations, or the Solar System.

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Credits – All images were created by the cast, crew, and production companies of Misdirection
Directed by – Kevin Lewis
Written by – Lacy McClory
Music by – Moxy Brothers
Cinematography by – Matti Eerikäinen
Edited by – Ryan Liebert
Production/Distribution Companies – Ollywood Media, Evolution Pictures, & Defiant Screen Entertainment.
Starring – Olga Kurylenko, Oliver Trevena, Vladislav Lapidus, Landa Morland, & Frank Grillo
Rating – Australia: MA15+;