The Infernal Machine (2022) User Reviews

It just doesn't work

[GeorgeWHAMMYBush · 5/10 · 25 September 2022]

Guy Pearce should easily win a best actor award for this. He gives it his all.

All the actors do. Maybe the director's strength is his ability to get good acting out of his actors?

He shot this wrong. There wasn't any gore or observed threat. The movie has real guts for a solid creepy horror movie but it pulled it's punch. This was more of a slap and not a hard one.

It would have been much shorter too. One seasoned producer would have made a major difference in this movie.

But Guy Pearce makes it work still. He's that good in this. The other actors try but he stands out. David Lynch should work with him.

Watch this without expectations of greatness.

Above par

[MattWillow · 6/10 · 20 May 2023]

This was quite an ok flick. Large part of this is due to Guy Pearce's contribution. He's usually a dependable actor, and comes through here with flying colors. In fact he's the best thing about the movie. Granted that the rest of the cast aren't given much space, apart from Jeremy Davies who is also brilliant with his limited role, no one else stands out. Alice Eve as the female officer doesn't work at all.

The movie itself is very slow moving, but I still found myself getting drawn in to the story. Can't say that the ending had any particular payoff for me, but it still worked. Would say I was pleasantly surprised by this.

Messy

[ethanbresnett · 5/10 · 9 December 2022]

The Infernal Machine is a real shame as I do think there's a good film to be had in the core idea, but the film just feels like a real mess.

There are too many plot threads going on that don't blend together or connect very well. I think a lot of the character motivation is a bit convoluted which doesn't help either. The result is that this film feels very leggy and drags on quite a bit. This would be somewhat forgivable but the ending is quite bland.

Still, there are some positives. Guy Pearce gives a convincing lead performance and he anchors the film nicely. The middle act is also pretty pacey and exciting, just a shame it is sandwiched between two lethargic acts.

Overall a disappointing tale, but not without a few redeeming features. Worth a watch if you do enjoy a mystery thriller, but don't expect to be blown away.

Great concept, great acting, just didn't work

[charlottebetteridge-93481 · 3/10 · 23 September 2022]

I don't quite know why this didn't work, but it wasn't gripping, the story was messy and was clunky. The acting was really good and I love the idea, but disappointing sadly. Some interesting twist, so not a complete flop, and whoever wrote it was clearly intellectual, just a bit of a dullard, or maybe that was the director? Had to tell.

Not as scary as I was hoping, as the advert made it look awesome. Maybe there weren't enough characters in the film? Sorry I can't quite put my finger on what the issue is here, but there we go.

I'd love to read some other reviews of this, so get posting! .....

A compelling watch with a surprise twist. Guy Pearce gives another amazing performance.

[tashwat · 7/10 · 14 October 2022]

The film tells the story of a one-hit-wonder writer, Bruce Cogburn, who now lives as a recluse in southern California following a mass-shooting incident where the shooter "blamed" his motive for the crime on Cogburn's book. Now 25 years on from the incident, Cogburn begins to receive a barrage of letters from an unknown source, leading to the question that carries the film; "who is sending all these letters?".

The answer isn't an obvious one and you are genuinely wondering right 'til the last act of the film, as it leads you down various different potential "suspects". You think the film is going to take you one way, then it takes a sharp turn in another, unexpected direction. The final twist is a good one...but the execution is a little laboured and indulgent.

The film has a relatively slow pace - don't expect big shoot outs and car chases, but keeps you gripped right through. Guy Pearce is on top form as usual, playing an alcoholic, paranoid hermit. How he manages to nail all these different accents is beyond me! He's accompanied by Alice Eve and Alex Pettyfer who give solid performances as well.

This is an intelligent thriller that is well written , well acted and well shot. Think along the lines of Stephen King's "Secret Window" with less psychopathy.

Watch the movie if you like the following:

• Great acting from the lead
• Clever writing
• Good cinematography
• Compelling plot
• Twists and turns

Don't watch if you're expecting:

• Gun shoot outs
• Car chases
• Fast pace
• Over edited, over-choreographed fight scenes

The only downside is the very end, which I shan't spoil. It feels a little extravagant and is perhaps trying too hard to be prodigious.

The film certainly doesn't deserve the low ratings it has received, so don't be put off by it. Overall it is definitely worth a watch if you're in the mood for a good thriller that keeps you gripped, and if you're a fan of Guy Pearce - which you should be!

Guy Pearce is magnificent, shame about the film.

[Boristhemoggy · 3/10 · 1 October 2022]

I went into this with mixed feelings because Guy Pearce is a most accomplished actor and I love watching him. However, Alice Eve as co star said instantly 'B movie'.

So I was confused as to what was going to happen.

Sorry, I can't hold it in any longer. I hated this film!

It should have been a great story but the director tried to make it into surreal and high brow art. A lofty ambition, but it failed.

I was constantly left wondering what on earth was going on, who people were., what part did they play in the overall story, what has happened so far that makes sense?

The penultimate scene is almost painful as like the rest of the film, the dialogue is verbose but without much meaning. I could barely hear properly what was being said anyway.

But the ending left us still not knowing what large chunks of the film were about. It seemed to be endless unconnected scenes with drawn out meaningless dialogue and no real story at all until the final minutes. That for me is not great story telling, and it doesn't make a great movie.

It got a paltry 3 from me.

Waited for something to happen but went nowhere

[fireflicker38 · 2/10 · 24 September 2022]

No doubt there was good acting, but the film as a whole was a complete flop. It was very boring...I kept waiting for something to happen. Throughout the entire movie I waited and then just a bit happened in the end which was not at all satisfying.

This movie was definitely not a thriller, there was very little that moved the film on. I regret the time spent watching such a boring, dull film. It could have been good, it did have potential but was wasted unfortunately. Guy Pearce made a good performance but it wasn't enough to carry the film. Sometimes the best part of a movie is it's trailer, sadly it was for this film.

I actually enjoyed it

[Maxax777 · 6/10 · 27 September 2022]

I actually enjoyed it - it was better than what I was expecting. The beginning gets to be little drawn out to finally work your way towards the end - but it's not bad. Again, I enjoyed it. Guy Pierce did a great job - and although it was a little slow, I still enjoyed it nonetheless. Now then if I added more to this review, I'd probably have have spoilers - and I don't want to completely dissect the entire film or spoil anyth. But it wasn't terrible - a little bit drawn out - but it was okay overall. This sentence I am writing now will help me to reach the mandatory minimum length of my review! Whew!!!

Bad writing about writing, unironically

[fraser-simons · 3/10 · 1 October 2022]

I was in for an alternate Secret Window, or something like it. This was even more contrived, and somehow snagged Guy Pearce and that guy from Lost who is usually alright. How? No idea. This script is just plain old not good.

A reclusive author of a book that supposedly revealed secrets to a man who became an active shooter and was sent to prison, is stalked, many years later, which subsequently unravels a thread bare plot about secrets kept by said author, and having to face new obstacles related to the secrets revealed.

Except... it is so contrived all the time because, well for one, he was a teacher of a writing class that hinged on a principle of writing that is so prosaic that it is only helpful for commercial fiction, basically. Which becomes quite ironic because it's a story that is about writing, specifically the conceit that when a person is understood well enough they can become as a character is situated in a story by the author. But there's no due diligence at all, the conceit is just offered and things spiral out from nonsense that isn't even attempted to be explained away, culminating in an even even more massively contrived finale than the inciting incident for this supposed arc.

It just doesn't work. I'm not sure it tries that hard to work, to be honest. All around it feels like a weak effort. Certainly none of the actors best performance. A throwaway effort on all fronts.

Mesmirizing script that kept me glued to the screen till the very last minute. Stellar acting performance by Guy Pearce.

[imseeg · 8/10 · 26 September 2022]

A fascinating and mesmirizing story about a (one hit) worldfamous writer, living secluded in the desert, who slowly looses his mind, when he gets stalked by anonymous letters, whose content reveals secrets that are only known to him. Is he in danger? And if so, who might be after him?

The good: this story kept me on the edge of my seat the entire movie. I HAD to know how it all would end and (for a change) it is not a disappointing plot turn which reveals what's the secret to this story. I would advice the reviewers NOT to read the other spoiler reviews by the way, because NOT KNOWING THE PLOT is really part of the suspsense.

More good: another stellar acting performance by Guy Pearce, who is terrific at portraying characters who are on the edge, who struggle mentally. Physically Guy Pearce looks like he has come out of a tumble dryer. He is at his wit's end, addicted to alcohol, living as a recluse in the desert, paranoid who is after him. This actor is always a guarantee for a solid acting performance.

Even more good: everything from photography, to sound, to editing is of the highest quality. I LOVE it when a movie looks the part!

Not any bad? This is a slowburning story and however mesmirizing it was to me, in this day and age of instant satisfaction youtube videos that dont last longer than a minute, some viewers might not be in the mood for a long, spun out story, which only reveals it's secrets until the very end. And what secrets they are!

So glad I stumbled upon this movie, because this is one of the best mystery movies I have seen these past months. What a joy to watch! BRAVO!

A slow-burn thriller with dark & moody set-up... to a bloated, self-satisfied & implausible ending

[danieljfarthing · 6/10 · 27 September 2022]

A thriller as slow-burn as debut writer / director Andrew Hunt's "The Infernal Machine" relies on its ending, which here is self-satisfied, contrived & implausible... wasting some terrific dark & moody set up work. Reclusive writer Guy Pearce (always solid) lives in isolation after his only novel inspired a mass-shooter 40yrs+ ago. Then SOMEONE starts sending him persistent 'fan mail'... but is it more sinister than that (duh)? Is it the jailed shooter Alex Pettyfor? Will Pearce get help from pretty cop Alice Eve (whose performance epitomises the whole movie: surprisingly good, til ultimately it ain't)? Worthy questions all, all sadly let down by that bloated ending. Shame... sigh.

Psychological head trauma

[marnold97306 · 3/10 · 24 September 2022]

I was intrigued the first fifteen minutes or so. Guy Pearce is an extraordinary actor, but sloppy writing can destroy even the best of performances.

It truly is a mystery but you don't know what answer you are seeking. Also I could tell right from the beginning the location they filmed is not California desert. I assumed it was probably Australian outback but was surprised to learn it was Portugal. It's really distracting to watch a movie that is supposed to take in California, USA and can notice so many nuances that differ otherwise.

I don't mind a slow burn if it actually leads to something exciting. Kudos to Jeremy Davies, his performance was probably one of his best.

Disappointing

[dclift-86405 · 4/10 · 24 September 2022]

What could have been a good film quickly turns into your usual paranoid writer fare.

I actually fell asleep in the final chapter and on awakening realised i really didn't care how it ended.

You'll figure out pretty quickly who the protagonist is and what's going on about midway and after that it's just silliness.

There's no taking away that Guy Pearce is a great actor and in fact it's the reason I wanted to watch this, but even he couldn't save this slow snooze fest.

My advice, go and watch Memento or The Rover if you need a dose of Guy.

Otherwise give this one a skip, We all have our duds now and again I suppose.

Thought

[VasValKam · 7/10 · 28 July 2023]

A bit slow at moments but kept suspense and tension to very end. The first 20-30 minutes are crucial as audience might get a bit bored from slower play but movie surely deserves a chances to be watched until the end.

Guy Pearce plays big role into the movie and most of the audience (I did too) watched movie because of him. It seemed that the character was designed especially for him.

Unexpected twist and made audience guessing. At one point I thought it might have something in common with Johny Depp's "Secret Window".

Some scenes could have been skipped or moved faster and could have been good to show the outcome with Saul.

Too long to keep me interested.

[deloudelouvain · 5/10 · 25 October 2022]

I watched The Infernal Machine with three other people. They all liked it a bit more than me, but it's not that they loved it. I wasn't impressed by it at all. The movie is just too long for that kind of story. It could easily have been half an hour lesser long. Slow paced, repetitive, just not really my thing. By the time the mystery was solved I lost all interest in the story, almost fell asleep. As for the acting it's basically all about Guy Pearce, whom isn't a bad actor, but even he couldn't make this movie better. I won't say the movie is a complete failure, as it probably will please other people, but just not me.

A masterpiece that will force lists with its story depth...

[joanload7867 · 3 October 2022]

As the course of the story progresses, it diverts your perception and shakes you like a slap, the mystery, the acting, the depth of the story,Without a doubt, it is a masterpiece to be compared with Guy Pearce's Memento. One of the best mystery thrillers of the last 15 years. The story progresses tremendously through the eyes of the main character, you put yourself in Bruce's place and question yourself, injecting it into its atmosphere from the very first minutes, its cinematography, coloring, close-ups, and flashback memories many more beautiful points, A masterpiece that will push the lists...

this was a heavy and slow...

[ops-52535 · 6/10 · 23 September 2022]

Neurological and psychological meal to devour and swallow. But the never ending philosophical moral of this overfeature length mystery thriller drama is that to lie is a deadly sin, to steal is a deadly sin, and to kill is a most mortal sins of all, in a slow churning plot about a desillutionized author and professors desperatly hiding from society and truth, an almost biblical toned armaghedonish fight to overcome the bad concience of bad deeds done in a very dysantrophobical caracter driven, but ever so surprisingly well acted almost solo riding guy pearce who, when allowed to speak british english appears to the audience as a golden star in the pantheonatic silverscreen theater, a guy ive disliked for so many years for bad acting , has risen from the grave of thrown outta the a-league of the actors guild...

much nonesense written as a reflection of loads of nonsense written scriptica, a shallow, longdrawn and barren production with a heavy message that should burn into everyones skin, whether sane or insane...BE GOOD AND BE HONEST... a 6 outta 10 for the acting and awarded to miself, the grumpy old man , cause its a long way to tipperary isnt it or somewhere colera-do or.

One too many subplots

[digitalphotoperson · 5/10 · 6 October 2022]

This could have been a superb, suspenseful film. I don't want to give a way anything though. The part with the then kid open fire on students in a mass shooting didn't not fit into the main plot whatsoever.

Scenes with the female police officer were a waste of time in terms of developing the story. Unrealistic things take place when she is involved.

Acting by Guy Pearce and the rest of the supporting cast is superb. Directing was well done as was the musical score.

The main theme which is wrapped up in the end of the film would have been enough.

Since I live in southern California and the location is supposed to be SoCal was awesome until I learned it was shot in South America. Oh well.

Guy Pierce at his best

[joffday · 9/10 · 26 September 2022]

I feel sorry for the reviewers who didn't enjoy this.

Guy Pearce is like a wine that just gets better with age. Right now, I'd watch anything with him in it.

I enjoyed the cinematography, the music and - heaven forbid - the story. Yes this is a slow burn and if you have the attention of a meerkat, give it a miss. But, if like me, you like it slow, it's worth the wait for the reveal at the end. For those who figured it out half way through, well done. Someone called the rest 'silliness' - well it wasn't in my book.

I enjoyed not overthinking the who and why and liked how the story played out.

Very good but...

[I_should_be_reading_a_book · 7/10 · 3 October 2022]

...just fails to score at the end.

I don't know how to picture you this without incurring in blatant spoilers; suffice to say that tho at times it's pinfully slow, direction is very good --with a few horrible exceptions, probably due to forced twists in the story (blame it to producers, not the director, thinks me).

Actors, perform solidly, again with two or three painful exceptions in scenes past the two third mark. There's one specially bad, incongruent and unnecessary and unbelievable scene by Guy Pearce and Alice Eve that almost made me cry out loud "don't be such idiots!", as it destroys the beautiful misterious mood of the whole film so far.

Nevertheless, even tho the team fails the last touchdown and field goal with a fairly empty ending, this is an eminently watchable movie that should give your ticket price fullfillment. It won't win any festival awards but you will probably want to watch again when it hits the streaming platforms.

Most certainly it deserves a better score than the mediocre rating it has collected so far.

Stand and applaud Guy Pearce

[kjjames81 · 5/10 · 1 December 2022]

After seeing this movie I thought firstly how good is Guy Pearce as an actor? It seems as if doesn't mind if the movie he is doing has less of a budget, like this one or a Hollywood blockbusters he stars in, he always gives a great performance.

This movie was excellent and kept you thinking about what was going to happen next, yes I rightly guessed a few if the twists and it didn't spoil my viewing but what I didn't like about this movie was the last fifteen minutes.

Why? Well it seemed once again the script writer didn't know how to end a movie and the way a trap was set, I won't say anymore about that, watch this movie first. The ending was the weakest bit of this fine film.

It's a very slow paced film and yes Guy Pearce holds this movie together.

All the other characters were not used enough in this film but as a low budget film it was worth a watch.

Why I can't rate this any higher?

[Dodge-Zombie · 4/10 · 7 February 2023]

The acting for the most part was very good. The script seemed pretty solid..... For the most part. The direction was mostly great...... Are you starting to see a theme here?

So basically the biggest issue with this movie is one particular character that in all honesty could of been taken out of the movie, the scenes slightly altered and about 20 minutes taken out and it would of been much more enjoyable.

It's not going to grip everyone that's for sure and a large chunk of it could be skipped with no loss to the story. It doesn't help with the atmosphere or anything it just makes it feel like it's being dragged out possibly because they needed to meet a specific run time but that's purely speculation on my part.

Will I ever watch it again? Very doubtful.

I can only recommend this movie to people that will sit and watch it from start to finish. Anyone who watches in a more casual way will simply be bored.

endings are hard

[isaacmizrahii · 6/10 · 8 January 2023]

I've told many writers during the course of my life...if you think of a good ending for a story...or a song...start THERE and work your way backwards... this movie had a pretty compelling story...one can't wait to find out where it's going once it really gets under way...from one scene to the next we wait to see, 'what happens next? Where is this all leading...?' some parts might seem a little far fetched. But that only hints at the possibility of a more fantastic ending...or even, if we're lucky, a whole last act of mind blowing revelations. As many others have said, afraid it just ain't so... but it was a fun ride getting there.

Pretty good

[martinrobertson300482 · 7/10 · 9 December 2022]

Wanted to check out this movie because in a way the trailer had me hoping it could be like the awesome "Memento." As much as it stars Guy Pearce and looked like an interesting tense thriller, and it's a decent watch.

It maybe took a while to get going and wasn't as intense as I'd hoped, but had a good twisted story with a couple of surprises in there. There is one annoying character in the movie who I couldn't really make out what he was saying at the end, and I'm not sure why Pearce is doing an English accent. But overall its a paranoia driven plot that'll keep you interested enough as it builds up.

A nice mystery

[sassy-14613 · 8/10 · 17 October 2022]

I really enjoyed this movie, especially with recent post pandemic offerings. It had me interested and invested in the story. Guy Pearce was really good. There are twists and turns and good amount of imagination to the story. Camera work and cinematography are top tier.

A big plus there was an ending to this movie. It doesn't just up and end like quite a few movies of late. Which I find extremely lazy storytelling. Literally, almost no cast and not much budget, but the movie was quite good. If you like mysteries or thrillers, I think you'll enjoy this movie. It may not invent the wheel but there's a good one here.