Obviously this includes spoilers...
Here's a simple film that manages that keep tension throughout it's entirety.
Thomas Jane plays an Army veteran with a troubled past. That troubled past is revealed throughout the first half of the film. Jane and his wife were having arguments ... Jane promised to clean up the yard of junk ... their son tripped and hit his head on a piece of junk, dying in the process ... Jane's wife left him. Jane is planning to kill himself when the story starts. This is kind of a clichéd role, but Jane does play it well.
Lawrence Fishburne plays a hit-man/assassin who is seen killing a woman at a cemetery. He chases the little girl to Jane's farmhouse. Jane has a shotgun and holds off Fishburne. The rest of the film is the cat-and-mouse between the two actors.
The tension is well-done, and the acting is good.
The thing is, Fishburne plays arguably the worst hit-man/assassin. These guys are supposed to invisible, only killing their target. But this guy kills a priest, a bodyguard, an innocent guy (the little girl's uncle), a cop ... Who would hire this guy who leaves such a large body count?
The whole "getting a new lease on life" trope for Jane's character is a bit overdone, but that's okay.
Anyway, this isn't a film you list as one of your favorites, but it is one you'll enjoy watching. It doesn't try to be more than it is.
Here's a simple film that manages that keep tension throughout it's entirety.
Thomas Jane plays an Army veteran with a troubled past. That troubled past is revealed throughout the first half of the film. Jane and his wife were having arguments ... Jane promised to clean up the yard of junk ... their son tripped and hit his head on a piece of junk, dying in the process ... Jane's wife left him. Jane is planning to kill himself when the story starts. This is kind of a clichéd role, but Jane does play it well.
Lawrence Fishburne plays a hit-man/assassin who is seen killing a woman at a cemetery. He chases the little girl to Jane's farmhouse. Jane has a shotgun and holds off Fishburne. The rest of the film is the cat-and-mouse between the two actors.
The tension is well-done, and the acting is good.
The thing is, Fishburne plays arguably the worst hit-man/assassin. These guys are supposed to invisible, only killing their target. But this guy kills a priest, a bodyguard, an innocent guy (the little girl's uncle), a cop ... Who would hire this guy who leaves such a large body count?
The whole "getting a new lease on life" trope for Jane's character is a bit overdone, but that's okay.
Anyway, this isn't a film you list as one of your favorites, but it is one you'll enjoy watching. It doesn't try to be more than it is.