Review of Self/less (2015) by Dana F — 29 Jun 2017

It's nothing to write home about, but this movie was not nearly as bad as thought it would be. It's an interesting premise and the first hour is actually pretty engaging. Unfortunately, what starts as an intellectual psychological thriller steadily decends into an incomprehensible run-of-the-mill action flick.

The filmmakers should have figured out what kind of movie they wanted to make before they starting making it (and should have stuck with the first kind). Also, it's totally predictable, you see all the twists and the inevitable cheeseball ending coming a mile away (even though none of it is consistent with how the plot or characters have been set up).

The story is a variation on the "body-switch" plot, and its sci-fi premise makes it more credible and easier to buy in to than the typical version you've seen. Ryan Reynolds plays the main character with his typical Ryan-Reynoldsy charm.

.. which is a problem when he is supposed to be playing a smarmy Ben Kingsley. Though I like both of these very capable actors, the two could not be more different from one another, and Reynolds doesn't do anything to convince the audience that he's playing the same guy that Kingsley did.

Reynolds just cannot help but be likeable, even when it contradicts his character to be so. It's too bad. This movie had promise and a lot of potential as a psychological thriller, but it should have quit while it was ahead.