Blackout

Blackout follows a trio of strangers (Aidan Gillen’s Karl, Amber Tamblyn’s Claudia, and Armie Hammer’s Tommy) as they find themselves trapped within the confines of a stalled elevator, with the movie detailing the mistrust that ensues as it becomes more and more obvious that one of these people isn’t as innocuous as he (or she) seems. It’s a solid premise that’s employed to persistently middling effect by filmmaker Rigoberto Castañeda, as the movie suffers from a distinct lack of elements designed to capture and sustain the viewer’s interest (ie there’s nothing here that wholeheartedly draws one into the spare narrative). Castañeda’s overly ambitious and consistently over-the-top directorial choices prove effective at perpetuating Blackout‘s far-from-engrossing atmosphere, with the movie’s proliferation of distracting visual (and aural) touches wreaking havoc on its momentum and obliterating any hope of tension or suspense. There’s little doubt, too, that the one-dimensional protagonists contribute heavily to the movie’s downfall, as the actors find themselves trapped within the confines of scarcely-developed characters that remain unsympathetic from beginning to end. (Castañeda offers up a series of distracting flashbacks that flesh out their respective backstories but also perpetuates the often eye-rollingly familiar bent of their personalities.) By the time the unreasonably over-the-top final stretch rolls around, Blackout‘s squandered a decent setup to become an overtly obnoxious thriller that boasts few positive attributes (if any).

* out of ****