Sometimes we wonder why the most innocent people get trapped in the vortex of the ugly. Ironic but true! Point Blank is a Netflix original produced in conjunction with Warparty. The film has been streaming since July 12, 2019, on Netflix. The lead protagonists in the film are Frank Grillo, Anthony Mackie, and Marcia Gay Harden. The 109-minute film can totally put you on the edge of your seat.
The plot
The shot opens at a secure premise of the government residence. Gunshots are heard, at the DA’s residence, and what we see later is a murdered government official and a fugitive running out. He quickly uses his phone to contact his brother, who awaits him. In the heat of the moment, his brother has picked up speed, and accidently knocks the fugitive down. The driver has driven away, afraid that the cops will catch him. The paramedics wheel the brother who is knocked down, into the hospital.
In steps Regina Lewis, the cop in charge assigned to investigate the DA’s murder. Sadly, she learns that the snipers have a gold mine of information of them that could destroy her future, and the future of all the other dirty cops in the United States of America. She will now do everything in her power to get to the information that is on a drive, and knock the fugitive brothers down. The brothers are now on a run to save their lives.
A hospital nurse, who has been assigned to attend to the knocked down victim, is taken hostage, and asked to wheel the victim out of the hospital, by his brother. All this is to be done to keep from the cops, and keep the drive safe. The quality of life would only improve if the drive reaches the right hands. The nurse is threated and his pregnant wife is taken hostage, if the brother, Mateo is not taken out of the hospital.
In spite of understanding the consequences, the nurse decides to help the fugitive duo to get away, in order to keep his wife from the tension, while she is just on the brink of labour. Turns out that the criminal minded brothers are kind hearted and show some deep concern towards the nurse’s pregnant wife. But now, Regina Lewis abducts her and has taken her hostage, killing Mateo. The nurse and the brother do everything they can to get her out of Regina’s clutches. Who wins?
Merits and demerits
While the start and the end of the film are fuelled with energy and speed, the body seems to be going astray. One cannot say that the film is overtly different, but the twist lies in the nuances of understanding human emotions at large. It is interesting to understand how criminals are usually misunderstood, and how innocent blue collared people fall into a needless trap of crime and hatred.
End note
The actors have displayed a wealth of complex emotions with due panache, carrying off the film really well. Their stupendous performance has helped mask the directorial flaws. All in all, a must-watch, rated at a liberal 4.5/5.
