Review of Meeting Evil (2012) by Wendy S — 13 Sep 2012

I have no idea what universe this movie is supposed to take place in. So a down on his luck Luke Wilson crosses paths with a sociopathic Samuel L. Jackson, and essentially gets taken hostage for a day while Jackson commits ruthless murder after ruthless murder.

This is one of those movies that typically pop up at Redbox and get rental traffic solely because of who is starring in it. I really couldn't tell where this was going at first, because it starts off like a low-grade Falling Down/Joy Ride mash up.

It all goes downhill when Samuel L. Jackson goes full Lakeview Terrace over the top; none of the characters are realistic, but he's just playing the same extreme role he has played so many times before, and it is detrimental to anything that would have been interesting.

He also has the oddest code I have ever seen before, and that is to kill every single person who doesn't have good manners. It's a bizarre quirk and kind of a lynchpin for the entire plot, and it's inconsistent.

Apart from that, there is also a bass heavy score that keeps coming up in moments of tense whispering, which totally undercuts any effectiveness. I can't even recommend this as a rental, because it is a thriller that has a really difficult time holding your attention.