Review of The Samaritan (2012) by Edward B — 03 Nov 2012

The Samaritan is just simply too derivative, too cliche, and too much in love with the style of a film noir rather than creating an honest portrayal of characters at crossroads. Samuel L Jackson plays Foley, an ex-grifter who has just got out of a 25-year sentence for murdering his best friend. Foley is simply trying to live his life, get a legit job, and spend his nights at a local bar feeling sorry for himself. That is until Ethan, the son of the man Foley killed, comes to him with a "one last job" offer. Despite pulling one major twist, the plot consistently treads familiar territory.

The performances are restrained but not in a good way. Everybody here seems completely bored, as if they're looking forward to a nice tidy paycheck more so than a solid performance.

Furthermore, the piano based soundtrack attempts to create a very sad, melancholic tone for the picture, but it quickly starts to feel very monotonous. Combined with an uninteresting visual style where everything seems filmed under gold filters, The Samaritan just treads along in a meandering fashion that never manages to engage. Its minor twists aren't enough to make up for a story that we've seen way too many times before.