Review of Serenity (2019) by Markhreviews — 05 Feb 2019

“Serenity” deserves real interest and support. Not because it’s a perfect movie – very few are, this one certainly is not. It deserves attention for playing with genre stereotypes and nudging boundaries in a truly interesting way.

In 2013, Writer/Director Steven Knight was applauded for “Locke.” In that film, with the exception of the opening scene, all the action takes place inside a car during a long drive to London. In “Serenity,” Knight spends the first half of the movie putting a blockbuster cast through its paces to set up a fairly conventional film noir. He then spends the remainder turning the genre inside-out, offering a bit of existential introspection (do any of us truly know anything?) and providing some thoughts about the consequences of domestic violence.

Presumably because of the film’s lofty aspirations, Knight has been able to assemble a powerhouse cast. Baker Dill (Matthew McConaughey) is a dissolute fishing boat captain, traumatized by war and seeking solace at the end of the world. Soon enough, his ex-wife (Anne Hathaway) arrives with a typically noirish proposition: if Dill will take her abusive husband (played powerfully by Jason Clarke) on a one-way fishing expedition, Dill can have the husband’s $10 million in ill-gotten gains. Diane Lane makes an odd appearance as a very-part-time love interest and neighborhood watch lady.

McConaughey’s performance, which carries the film, is a slow burn. Early on, he is portrayed as a man burying his anger, trauma, resentment and pain in booze, with all the enigmatic enthusiasm he brings to selling Lincoln Navigators. As the plot develops (thickens, curdles, insert your own verb here), McConaughey’s intensity ratchets up appropriately, to a very satisfying climax.

Busting genres is not for the faint of heart. Professional critics have generally savaged this film. In my view, they are wrong. This is a very imperfect film. Beyond Baker Dill, none of the characters are developed in a meaningful way. The existential “reveal” in the middle of the film offers an array of thematic options, none of which are pursued fully. Despite its failures, this movie deserves a thoughtful, engaged audience. These days, films waste too much time playing it safe - too many superheroes, too many mind-numbing sequels. There are too few films that, like “Serenity,” are willing to take real chances.