I really don't understand the criticism to this film, yes I do understand it may have been a bit unrealistic at times but in life or death instances you may just be overpowered. I found this film very intense, maybe it was being lost in a country with a giant language barrier or it was the thought Of the police trying to assassinate you! It almost made me not wanna go on holiday even after being locked down for a year and my man John Washington always pulls through with the performance, please ignore the hatred and check this out if you get a chance.
574 Reviews
not your saturday night movie
platon_mp15 August 2021
What i liked was the old fashioned way its filmed. Reminds me of classic greek cinema. Also as a Greek watching many beautiful locations or streets that i walked thousand times cetrainly keep my interest. Greek actors were fine, their acting felt natural. Im not a camera expert but the way its filmed feels like you re not watching a movie but events unfolding in front of you, like a documentary.
And here is where my biggest complain is. In order to make up for that normal like 'anti-cinematic' way of filming you need to balance it with something very captivating in order to keep audience involved, in other words some spicy flavour. Its like filming myself running from Metsovo to Athens. It may be a movie, but not an art, not something more than a few people would care to watch. And if someone makes a movie without some sort of a greater philosophical meaning at least he owns the viewer some kind of entertainment.
Do you remember some american shows where you have the real person tell a life surviving story and in the meantime they make a short cheap movie to alternate so you dont watch a person talking on a chair for 50 mins? Make those 50 mins 105 and you have Beckett, only the story is about politics, a subject few can relate to.
I wont even discuss about Johns performance as he wasnt given a fair chance.
Summary: it captured some greek elements and it felt real and natural but it was missing taste and artistic touch to make it appealing for a larger audience. Dont feel like trashing this movie since im from Greece so i cannont give it any less than 6/10, propably more of what is worth for.
And here is where my biggest complain is. In order to make up for that normal like 'anti-cinematic' way of filming you need to balance it with something very captivating in order to keep audience involved, in other words some spicy flavour. Its like filming myself running from Metsovo to Athens. It may be a movie, but not an art, not something more than a few people would care to watch. And if someone makes a movie without some sort of a greater philosophical meaning at least he owns the viewer some kind of entertainment.
Do you remember some american shows where you have the real person tell a life surviving story and in the meantime they make a short cheap movie to alternate so you dont watch a person talking on a chair for 50 mins? Make those 50 mins 105 and you have Beckett, only the story is about politics, a subject few can relate to.
I wont even discuss about Johns performance as he wasnt given a fair chance.
Summary: it captured some greek elements and it felt real and natural but it was missing taste and artistic touch to make it appealing for a larger audience. Dont feel like trashing this movie since im from Greece so i cannont give it any less than 6/10, propably more of what is worth for.
Beautiful
thimbletack14 August 2021
I thought that the filming was incredible. Great shots and great edits. The story was the typical chase and crime thriller. Compared to other recent films, I thought this story had more depth to it than say Without Remorse. I enjoyed that the plot focused on the character rather than the detailed politics. It kept it more relatable. Really a pleasure to watch and just enough details to keep you interested. There was realistic violence versus the over the top.
Not my vacation
kosmasp14 August 2021
Remember this is a movie. For that there are things that are heightened. I for one thought it is interesting having some villain shadow ... whatever operate in Greece. Also our main character here is no superhero. He won't Bourne his way out of things ... he has to rely on luck (and some shoody writing on the bad guys part too of course).
Having said all that, bonus points for shooting in Greece (evident on many occasions and just a small little detail like the plastic water bottle being used during a car drive almost at the beginning is one testament of that) ... and having many talk in Greek. Which our main character does not understand at all.
You could argue that he puts a lot of lives in danger of the folk who are so willing and eager to help. But there is not time to think about small things like that ... the movie has a pace that seems relentless and never stopping.
Works out pretty fine at the first half of the movie, gets a bit dragging towards the beginning of the second part. And as stated above the villains seem especially ... well light minded? Is that politically correct way of putting it? Whatever the case, this is a rock solid thriller, which is not an indicator how your next vacation (in Greece or elsewhere in Europe) will go down.
Having said all that, bonus points for shooting in Greece (evident on many occasions and just a small little detail like the plastic water bottle being used during a car drive almost at the beginning is one testament of that) ... and having many talk in Greek. Which our main character does not understand at all.
You could argue that he puts a lot of lives in danger of the folk who are so willing and eager to help. But there is not time to think about small things like that ... the movie has a pace that seems relentless and never stopping.
Works out pretty fine at the first half of the movie, gets a bit dragging towards the beginning of the second part. And as stated above the villains seem especially ... well light minded? Is that politically correct way of putting it? Whatever the case, this is a rock solid thriller, which is not an indicator how your next vacation (in Greece or elsewhere in Europe) will go down.
1970's style thriller
Know22 August 2021
A nice surprise
jonasmarkussen13 August 2021
Beckett is an unusual Netflix original because it actually has an artistic quality to it. Its set in greece and really uses the greek culture and landscape to a point where you can feel it. The cinematography is so beautiful and so is the Sound design. The plot is gripping and you really will keep guessing how the hell this is happening to an ordinary man. I'd always been having trouble figuring out if Washington is an amazing or just a mediocre actor, but he makes his best performance yet, if you ask me. He is not your typical fit action hero, that knows how to fight bad guys and he is often more lucky than skilled plus he has a more realistic looking body than most of these type of movies.
UNFORTUNATELY this movie has some plot holes and loses momentum at the end, which is a bit of a shame. The mystery that gets unravelled is a bit meh, so I dropped my rating to a 6, but it deserves around 6.9. Anyway its a good suspenseful, beautiful and enjoyable little thriller!
(And as some reviews already said it, the person(s) responsible for the title should find another job, its a bit ridiculous naming this movie beckett)
UNFORTUNATELY this movie has some plot holes and loses momentum at the end, which is a bit of a shame. The mystery that gets unravelled is a bit meh, so I dropped my rating to a 6, but it deserves around 6.9. Anyway its a good suspenseful, beautiful and enjoyable little thriller!
(And as some reviews already said it, the person(s) responsible for the title should find another job, its a bit ridiculous naming this movie beckett)
I'm glad I didn't read the reviews before !
emmanuel-hulin18 August 2021
Don't get fooled by the numerous bad reviews. Plenty of people enjoyed it. Good script (North by Northwest - like), great actor, and a very good pace.
Entertaining and it's not every day that you get a chance to see a movie shot in Greece.
Entertaining and it's not every day that you get a chance to see a movie shot in Greece.
Great acting & scenery but poor writing
JamesDim214 August 2021
The movie was ok but nothing special. On the plus side the Greek scenery at the beginning was beautiful and wild and reminded me of lord of the rings, the acting of most of the cast and especially Washington was really solid too. Now for the not so good. The plot was really weak and almost paper thin the main idea was great but the execution not so much. Another thing that bothered me as a person who lived in Athens for 6 years is that they made it look like a distopian third world country which was weird because Athens is a really beautiful City. I get that the movie is set in a distopian political alternate reality but they made Athens look like Baghdad or something. As a final verdict I think the movie is watchable but had potential to be much more if the writing was better.
I usually know within the first 10 minutes if the movie is good or bad.
mphocastry13 August 2021
This movie was not for John David Washington, they should have cast someone else. The acting was generally really bad, I felt nothing for the characters and I also didn't connect with the story. The Characters who are seemingly "in-love" had no chemistry between them. The camera work and editing were the biggest let down, some of the shots were out of focus....not artistically out of focus, like incompetent DP out of focus. Editing department should have cut those out. Some scenes were shot like it was a low budget student film. This movie was hard to watch because the overall quality was really poor.
Decent Thriller Review Bombed by Right Wing Snowflakes
sir_couchpotato15 August 2021
From reading the reviews you'd think this movie was terrible and John Washington is the worst actor ever but that's not remotely accurate.
The movie is well put together and plays like a classic thriller similar to The French Connection, The Fugitive, etc. As other reviewers have said. John Washington puts in a solid performance. The anxiety ridden man we see dealing with the stress and confusion of be chased and attacked after what started as an accident is quite compelling.
The moment the conspiracy is revealed where a far right group was up to no good, the review bombing finally made sense. From there it's a good conspiracy thriller. Perhaps the snowflakes review bombing should take a look at themselves if they feel attacked by a fictional narrative.
All in all, its a good film in the crosshairs of right wing nut jobs who are detached from reality. Don't listen to the snowflakes and enjoy the ride. A solid 7.5.
The movie is well put together and plays like a classic thriller similar to The French Connection, The Fugitive, etc. As other reviewers have said. John Washington puts in a solid performance. The anxiety ridden man we see dealing with the stress and confusion of be chased and attacked after what started as an accident is quite compelling.
The moment the conspiracy is revealed where a far right group was up to no good, the review bombing finally made sense. From there it's a good conspiracy thriller. Perhaps the snowflakes review bombing should take a look at themselves if they feel attacked by a fictional narrative.
All in all, its a good film in the crosshairs of right wing nut jobs who are detached from reality. Don't listen to the snowflakes and enjoy the ride. A solid 7.5.
Good movie
xmpz-8124813 August 2021
I don't understand why people are giving this movie so many bad reviews. JDW did a decent job given the direction, script and everything else. Ending could have been better but still overall a good watch. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Another Netflix trash
Moviedog2613 August 2021
Positive reviews of this mess are virtually all single use accounts
random-7077826 October 2021
And on top of that, a lot of identical phrasing. Hmmm.
This film does have one outstanding aspect, it is rare to find a film in such a beautiful setting be so unwatchable. And in Greece the majority of the poltical violence has been from the left (google November 17th) which has engaged in scores of poltical murders, kidnappings etc. Oh and wake me up when Greece is 1/100th as dangerous for an American as Chicago or Baltimore.
Also why does the protagonist have to go across all of Greece to get to the US embassy when he starts a stone's throw from a US consulate?
This film does have one outstanding aspect, it is rare to find a film in such a beautiful setting be so unwatchable. And in Greece the majority of the poltical violence has been from the left (google November 17th) which has engaged in scores of poltical murders, kidnappings etc. Oh and wake me up when Greece is 1/100th as dangerous for an American as Chicago or Baltimore.
Also why does the protagonist have to go across all of Greece to get to the US embassy when he starts a stone's throw from a US consulate?
Decent, but dull. Needed more "opa!"
Top_Dawg_Critic14 August 2021
This is newb writer and director Ferdinando Cito Filomarino's first full length feature film, with five previous short films. And I'm thinking this one should've been a short as well.
The 108 min runtime was way too long with more filler than substance, then add the slow pacing, and you get bored real quick. Had this film been based on actual events - and filmed verbatim, then I may have given it at least one more star, but the fact this was a fictional story, so much more could've been done - such as adding some excitement.
There were moments of tension and suspense, but the cat and mouse game is nothing new, and this one was just more dull in general, and got stale real quick. I did like the setting in Greece, but again, I think more could've been done with that.
The entire opening scene and the relationship with Alicia Vikander (and her minimal screen time) was overwritten, while the rest of the story and its themes were underwritten and, well, dull. The ending also seemed too rushed compared to the guts of the story from the start. A lot more action and suspense would've gone a long way in this film. However, his story execution was well thought out, with great scene transitions and coherent themes and plot.
Filomarino's directing, camera work, and directing his cast was actually decent. Performances were on point, although Washington's character cried a little too much for a guy that jumps 5 floors off a parking garage. The score was actually amazing and fitting, especially for a B film.
Had Filomarino trimmed off about 20 mins, and/or consulted a seasoned writer to add some "opa!" into his screenplay, this film could've been great. Nevertheless, for a newb filmmaker, he should be proud of his first full length feature.
The 108 min runtime was way too long with more filler than substance, then add the slow pacing, and you get bored real quick. Had this film been based on actual events - and filmed verbatim, then I may have given it at least one more star, but the fact this was a fictional story, so much more could've been done - such as adding some excitement.
There were moments of tension and suspense, but the cat and mouse game is nothing new, and this one was just more dull in general, and got stale real quick. I did like the setting in Greece, but again, I think more could've been done with that.
The entire opening scene and the relationship with Alicia Vikander (and her minimal screen time) was overwritten, while the rest of the story and its themes were underwritten and, well, dull. The ending also seemed too rushed compared to the guts of the story from the start. A lot more action and suspense would've gone a long way in this film. However, his story execution was well thought out, with great scene transitions and coherent themes and plot.
Filomarino's directing, camera work, and directing his cast was actually decent. Performances were on point, although Washington's character cried a little too much for a guy that jumps 5 floors off a parking garage. The score was actually amazing and fitting, especially for a B film.
Had Filomarino trimmed off about 20 mins, and/or consulted a seasoned writer to add some "opa!" into his screenplay, this film could've been great. Nevertheless, for a newb filmmaker, he should be proud of his first full length feature.
Bucket
drsnow-0641213 August 2021
Classic Thriller Style
michael-131613 August 2021
Snooze Fest
drifter_7413 August 2021
An odd pairing of lovers (Washington and Vikander) holidays in Greece. On a road trip they are involved in an accident and this sets of a series of events that forces Washington's character to go on the run.
The first time I saw Washington in a movie was in Tenet and he simply did not impress me. He is equally aloof in this film. His portrayal of Vikander's lover at the start of the movie is as unconvincing as it gets and once he becomes a fugitive, his stumbling through the Greek landscape snubs the last hope of finding decent acting in this film.
Acting aside, the script is equally constipated and the director attempts to build tension through a soundtrack that consists of electronic noises but that only manages to irritate.
Ultimately the movie just does not make sense.
I did enjoy the Greek landscape though, so 3 stars for the Mediterranean.
The first time I saw Washington in a movie was in Tenet and he simply did not impress me. He is equally aloof in this film. His portrayal of Vikander's lover at the start of the movie is as unconvincing as it gets and once he becomes a fugitive, his stumbling through the Greek landscape snubs the last hope of finding decent acting in this film.
Acting aside, the script is equally constipated and the director attempts to build tension through a soundtrack that consists of electronic noises but that only manages to irritate.
Ultimately the movie just does not make sense.
I did enjoy the Greek landscape though, so 3 stars for the Mediterranean.
Decent movie
damir-4654813 August 2021
Weak motive and an even weaker storyline
airborne_trooper13 August 2021
So the first thing wrong with this movie is it's introduction of characters. To start, we don't know who is who, why they're in Greece to begin with and the murkiness only builds from there. People come and go. Some prove to be allies, others don't. Some things get answered along the way. But as you learn more and little pieces, the only question you keep coming back to is why are they chasing this guy Beckett so hard?! It would have been far easier to just let him go back to the US and he would have been none the wiser to what was really going on. It was only them chasing him so incessantly that put him on the path to figuring out the motive. Which was incredibly weak at best.
In conclusion, stupid plot. Stupid motive. And same ol' paint by numbers bad guy pursuit movies. Random bad guys can traverse all across the town, city, state and country with ease, finding who they're looking for, on the absolute slightest of leads, eventually bad guys lose. What was it all for? Still don't really know. And then it just kinda ends. Waste of time.
In conclusion, stupid plot. Stupid motive. And same ol' paint by numbers bad guy pursuit movies. Random bad guys can traverse all across the town, city, state and country with ease, finding who they're looking for, on the absolute slightest of leads, eventually bad guys lose. What was it all for? Still don't really know. And then it just kinda ends. Waste of time.
Formulaic thriller with not a creative turn by anyone involved.
JohnDeSando21 August 2021
As a thriller, Beckett is a dull primer on the genre, employing every trope, gimmick, and theme ever, all in one action plot so predictable as to be risible. In addition, it is so indebted to moving the plot favorably for the titular protagonist (John David Washington) that its coincidences exceed logic.
Beckett and April (Alicia Vikander-underused) are blissfully vacationing in Greece ("I think I'm having a love attack," he says-yikes for the dialogue) when their auto plows at dark into a home that just happens to be the hideout for conservatives who have kidnapped a little boy, the son of a prominent politically left candidate. Such an improbability kickstarts the plot that has the thugs tracking Beckett and nothing else.
At several points that Beckett escapes, we can be assured that he will survive because of his extraordinary good luck in doing so. Each set piece of his escapes also seems disjointed enough from the main plot that it could exist outside of this film, albeit some are well executed if not fabulous.
Because of his ability to get out of each tough spot, I have forgotten most of them; all I know is that Beckett cannot be stopped, despite multiple wounds. The people along the way who help him are not as lucky.
Washington is durable if not a bland, a stoic face that accompanied him when he was chased in Tenet as well. Vikander remains one of the best actresses of her time even if she's gone early from Beckett when she is unfortunately delivered by her lover's sleepy driving. Lena (Vicky Krieps) is a rebel who helps him along the way to seeking refuge from his pursuers in the American embassy, another wasted talent.
As for who represents what in the political part of the film, I haven't a clue except that the candidate at the rally seems to be more liberal than the organization pursuing Beckett. Netflix is the home of this disappointing thriller-even during pandemic time, I can't recommend it.
Beckett and April (Alicia Vikander-underused) are blissfully vacationing in Greece ("I think I'm having a love attack," he says-yikes for the dialogue) when their auto plows at dark into a home that just happens to be the hideout for conservatives who have kidnapped a little boy, the son of a prominent politically left candidate. Such an improbability kickstarts the plot that has the thugs tracking Beckett and nothing else.
At several points that Beckett escapes, we can be assured that he will survive because of his extraordinary good luck in doing so. Each set piece of his escapes also seems disjointed enough from the main plot that it could exist outside of this film, albeit some are well executed if not fabulous.
Because of his ability to get out of each tough spot, I have forgotten most of them; all I know is that Beckett cannot be stopped, despite multiple wounds. The people along the way who help him are not as lucky.
Washington is durable if not a bland, a stoic face that accompanied him when he was chased in Tenet as well. Vikander remains one of the best actresses of her time even if she's gone early from Beckett when she is unfortunately delivered by her lover's sleepy driving. Lena (Vicky Krieps) is a rebel who helps him along the way to seeking refuge from his pursuers in the American embassy, another wasted talent.
As for who represents what in the political part of the film, I haven't a clue except that the candidate at the rally seems to be more liberal than the organization pursuing Beckett. Netflix is the home of this disappointing thriller-even during pandemic time, I can't recommend it.
Not A Citizen Kane, But Certainly Not A Sharknado
TenneyBox26 August 2021
Beckett was certainly an interesting watch for me, as I knew literally nothing about it going in, which I think gave me a clear minded perspective, not setting any expectations going in. This movie is an intense thriller, and it delivers on that premise. The plot is intriguing, the chase sequences are pretty well done, and the acting is pretty top notch. The premise is very interesting to me, about a guy seemingly being in the wrong place at the wrong time, and having to propel himself to safety, after a massive tragedy. I did feel like some of the sequences were slightly unrealistic, but they never hit the point of this is an action movie character mixed with a video game protagonist that can seemingly just never die. Beckett stumbles around, not knowing how to defend himself, and certainly not being an action hero, but I think this quality really helped the movie out. The overall plot went well with the movie, and I think that the unrealistic aspects were subtle enough to be overlooked, and at the very least, excusable.
Pros: cool setpieces, great performances, interesting plot, cool camerawork Cons: Some unrealistic scenes of characters surviving unrealistic scenarios.
Pros: cool setpieces, great performances, interesting plot, cool camerawork Cons: Some unrealistic scenes of characters surviving unrealistic scenarios.
Waste of time
tedgeorgilas13 August 2021
When I saw the trailer I thought i should watch this film . But when I watched it , i wished I'd never seen the trailer !!!! The movie was a bit boring so I had to FF a bit at several points. But what I couldn't stand was BAD ACTING. Like actors in an amateur school movie.
One of the worst movies I've seen in a while
arkruis19 December 2021
Overall a surprisingly bad movie. I did not expect this with a big name as Washington. But in reality it turned out to be some kind of weak B movie. Really bad acting, and weak storyline. Camera movement and quality were also very bad. Action scenes, and even the extras were bad. I would not recommend this movie to anyone.
Well produced, photographed and acted, this tale of redemption looses its focus and timing in the third act.
me_on_quality19 August 2021
A lot about this movie is well performed. It's crisply photographed and has an almost documentary air about it. But in the end, the third act leaves a shallow and unsatisfying aftertaste, with both focus and timing not hitting the mark. A story based on redemption and revenge, 'Beckett' is somewhere between 'North by Northwest', 'The Fugitive' and 'Taken'. Being produced by Netflix, a happy mixed race couple is on vacation in Greece, and from there on things go wrong till the resolution at the end, with every resting moment only leading to new chaos. Cutting down the political side story in the third act probably could have made this a better film.
Ignore all negative (probably US) reviews!!
mitchel198615 August 2021
The first thing my girlfriend and I said to each other after watching is this was "why all the negative reviews"?? I'm guessing they either did not see this actual movie, don't care about storylines not taking place in the US or any country the US is or was in war with, or just can't stand Denzel Junior.
That having said, this is just a good movie! Exciting, entertaining, some twists here and there. Kept me entertained all the way! Just ignore the nay sayers and see for yourself!
That having said, this is just a good movie! Exciting, entertaining, some twists here and there. Kept me entertained all the way! Just ignore the nay sayers and see for yourself!
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