It delivers just some of thrills, when the lead actor embarks on a dark journey into the criminal underworld to retrieve his missing children. A parent's love is a great engine to get audiences on board with a thriller. There is plenty of thrillers letting the audience follow the story of a parental figure trying to keep their kid safe in a worst-case scenario. This one is not a particularly interesting movie, just still worth watching for fans of this type of light thrillers, it does provide the escapist entertainment it sets out to deliver. Not every movie needs to be a masterpiece that does something brand-new; sometimes, it's good enough to just deliver the goods in a popular gen and it doesn't seem so good acted either.

First the Netflix description (at least in the U. S.) is somewhat misleading. It implies a grieving dad revenge actioner or mystery in the mold of Taken or The Postcard Killings. It isn't, it's more of a slow burn thriller focused on the interpersonal drama of a small cast of characters.

Even once you realize that and temper your expectations, the movie's not particularly interesting. None of the characters is sympathetic enough for you to care what happens to them. Without any character investment there's no real sense of threat or danger.

The big twist doesn't get enough time to breathe. It's introduced, it's perplexing for a moment, and then it's resolved right away. The movie's technically competent and decently performed but it fails to sustain any suspense or tension.

I didn't know what to expect but the opening scene with them all diving into the water gave me hope that it would at least have great visuals. The movie was slow but that seemed to work at first. We are left to fill in some of the blanks in many areas but that's not too bad as the details aren't as important as they are simply the catalyst for further actions. Let we are left wondering why some aspects became so extreme. For example who was the man who called and demanded the ransom. That's a fairly loose end to have floating out there.

There are subtle parts that make you think something else might be happening. Does the old friend who lends the money know more than he is letting on? Is the night boat trip a set up? Why aren't the children forthcoming with their father about what happened? Yes they were drugged but they must clearly remember the boat trip, the sea urchins, visiting the Uncle's boat and being at the farm. Even if they don't remember how they woke up at Mom's place. So we do create a variety of scenarios.

In the end the core blackmail plot makes no sense. Using the tape for blackmail would expose the whole thing. Even if the tape were the evidence for a crime, at worst he could say he was drunk and made up the story. There is no other evidence. But if the case proceeded anywhere then the whole rational for the drug run would come out. There would be the proof the kids were at the farm. There would be NO proof that the mother actually took a flight somewhere as she didn't. The kids would tell their story of going asleep at Dad's and waking up at Mom's.

Since they would have no memory of it then them being drugged would be suspected and tests done. The drugs would have been detected. There would be the question of why she taped him upon entering with his story as there was no previous evidence of any odd behaviour. The call with the blackmail might have be deleted but they would have found the call on his phone even if she used a burner to make her call. The fact she had the kids ready to go the very night after she taped the call would be very suspicious. Also if she only wanted him to get dirty money then that wouldn't even be such a negative thing. He goes to the only person he knows with that kind of money and if the guy lent it to him then there is no way to know if it is dirty money, laundered money or if this could be legitimate money. As she said herself, she didn't know he would be asked to do something illegal. So in the end even if everything came out, he might have gotten off because he was trying to save his kids. The mother would never have been given custody.

Having said that I did still enjoy the movie. It was too bad that he only got 150,00 Euros as he owes 250,000. So his future is still not clear. And I did enjoy the ending. Unlike some, I don't think it is his imagination as we the audience see her through the door before he does. So if she has come back then where the hell do things go from here? Nothing good will come from this. A sequel? Unlikely.

Overall I liked the acting. I liked Wallis in some scenes but in others, she didn't seem to be as good. It would be curious to see which scenes were filmed first as she likely wasn't in the character yet.

Hard to imagine the two children were hers as I couldn't see any familial similarities at all.

Worth an evening watch.