Hypnotic

At times I was reminded of the 2015 thriller Solace, in which Anthony Hopkins helped the FBI by functioning as a sort of psychic satnav. Somehow, this is even sillier.

As it is, even with the short running time, there are plenty of opportunities to notice the lack of spark between Affleck and Braga, the grating bombast of the soundtrack and the paltry special effects.

It’s sloppily executed, without a hint of dramatic tension.

The mood is gun-happy and conspiracy-minded, but the real killer is what feels like 80 percent of the running time being spent with Affleck and co-stars standing in rooms explaining the plot.

As a film fan, you have to respect the continued indie spirit with which Rodriguez works... but the script and performances in “Hypnotic” are too laughably absurd to take seriously.

While it's not plausible, believable, or even able to fully follow its own logic strains, it does achieve a certain level of deranged camp. Put it this way: It's never dull, and if nothing else, "Hypnotic" is a hoot.

Hypnotic is a speedy, twisty, riotously enjoyable thriller that seeks to bend your mind into impossible shapes while also delivering more than a few droll wisecracks.

Don’t let the Christopher Nolan-like advertising fool you: Hypnotic is a decidedly average movie where effective thrills are let down by a shoddy script. Only those truly under Affleck’s spell need apply.

Which is another type of movie set, and maybe a better idea for a film. Ultimately as absurd but not nearly as beguiling as the Spy Kids movies, Hypnotic is a fizzle not for spoiling but for perhaps making it sound more interesting than it actually is.




Fast-paced and thrilling...