Limbo

Directed by Ivan Sen, Limbo follows grizzled detective Travis Hurley (Simon Baker) as he arrives in a small Australian town hoping to solve a decades-old missing persons case. Filmmaker Sen, working from his own screenplay, does terrific job of initially drawing the viewer into the seriously deliberate proceedings, as Sen delivers a compelling protagonist in the guise of Baker’s rather fascinating character – with the figure’s less-than-approachable appearance enhanced by his heroin addiction and tendency to listen to bible verses on the radio. (Baker’s completely lived-in and engaging performance only heightens this feeling, to be sure.) The movie’s slow-burn atmosphere is, as a result, not nearly as problematic as one night feared (although Sen admittedly does push things really, really far), with the mostly watchable vibe perpetuated by an intriguing, engrossing mystery, striking black-and-white cinematography, and an overall sense of eye-catching atmosphere (eg that built-into-rock motel in which Travis is staying). By the time the goosebump-inducing final shot rolls around, Limbo has cemented its place as an overlong yet effective murder-mystery that fares better than most similarly-themed fare.

*** out of ****