“The fact that No Good Deed sticks to a familiar narrative (the kind where you can’t exactly say what film it’s a lot like, but know you’ve seen something just like it or simply know the tropes of these kinds of films) isn’t so burdensome, mainly because it fills itself with competence and enjoyable plot-points.”
The bulk of critics this week, who have made the extra effort to see No Good Deed and pay for it out of their own pocket, have delivered some of the most negative, scathing reviews of the film I’ve seen this year. The fine line on whether or not this was because critics were originally going to be able to see the film for free, if Screen Gems hadn’t pulled the plug last minute and canned all screenings for the film, or whether or not the film was actually that bad has left me a tad mystified. It’s easy to call No Good Deed an average, if slightly-below average piece of work, but, much like The Identical, which I saw yesterday, the criticism seems so far-fetched and so unnecessarily hostile towards both films it begs a mention.
The film stars Idris Elba as Colin Evans, a handsome, but sadistic killer, who is described by a member of his parole hearing as a “malignant narcissist,” who is controlling, manipulative, and very, very violent. Colin is a convicted murderer of five women, and after being denied parole and sentenced to another five years in prison, breaks out of the prison van he is being transported in and returns to his ex-girlfriend, who he discovers was cheating on him in jail and never read a single one of his letters. After a long day, he winds up crashing his vehicle in the middle of a big storm and finding himself practically stranded, he stumbles upon the home of Terri Granger (Taraji P. Henson), a workaholic mother of two with a husband who is on a golfing trip with his father. After asking Terri to use the phone, and following him being granted entry in the home, Colin becomes mesmerized by Terri, and gradually descends from what appears to be a well-meaning stranger to the frightening and controlling narcissist he has always been.
- No Good Deed
- Directed by
Sam Miller - Cast
Taraji P. Henson, Idris Elba, Leslie Bibb - Release Date
12 September 2014 - Steve’s Grade: C+
Elba and Henson are so fantastic in their roles that it almost makes you forget the familiarity of the film’s premise. Elba has consistently been a commanding force on-screen, but never in film has he taken on a role of such a contemptible, vile antagonist, which is what he beautifully executes here. He’s tall, muscular, with well-defined features such as an intimidating face and a structurally-sound build, and creates a menacing character out of pretty apparent personality traits. Henson, on the other hand, has a face you can read like a book, clearly showing her emotions in a blatant way. Nonetheless, she’s great because of the wide-range of activity she has to do in response to Elba’s menacing character. Both actors are on top of their game despite functioning in a film of modest writing.
*****
To begin with, writer Aimée Lagos sticks to a simplistic plot outline, which isn’t as bad as some have said. Just because a film doesn’t dare try anything new doesn’t make it immediately awful or dismissible. In fact, No Good Deed comes out in a time where American cinema is in a state of purgatory, before Oscar-season officially starts in late September/early October and directly after the array of summer blockbusters have hit the scene. At this point in time, those who can make it to the theater do so in hopes to find a film they can enjoy for a simple evening, rather than being bombarded with special effects and a dazzling sound and lights show or expecting greatness that will be granted with numerous awards.
The fact that No Good Deed sticks to a familiar narrative (the kind where you can’t exactly say what film it’s a lot like, but know you’ve seen something just like it or simply know the tropes of these kinds of films) isn’t so burdensome, mainly because it fills itself with competence and enjoyable plot-points. There is even a pleasantly unexpected ending, which is why apparently why Screen Gems pulled the plug on the critics screenings. With that, there’s enough here to assure “No Good Deed” is at least successful at what it is attempting to do, which is be a mildly thrilling, eighty-four minute film, complemented with suspense, slowburn pacing, and two great performances.
The only drawback, aside from the safeness that comes with Lagos deciding not to go too far with the content of the film so it would receive a PG-13 over an R-rating, is probably the fight scenes between Colin and Terri, which feel disruptive to the sense of slowburn-style pacing the film employs for much of the film. When Colin and Terri clash an upwards of three or four times is when that style is abruptly abandoned, which throws off the pace of the film more than once. Other than that, the slowburn style works, despite the film being so short, and we see motivations slowly emerge and characters vaguely breakthrough beyond the labels of “good guy” and “bad guy.”
No Good Deed is simple, effective entertainment, and those placing the bulk of their criticisms on the film being either derivative or providing nothing new to a formula should look into finding another thesis for their reviews.
