A HOUSE OF DYNAMITE BLOWS ITSELF UP

 What the fuck is this structure? The same exact series of events, repeated three times, each time from a different set of perspectives. What does this film think it is? The Last Duel? This film isn’t great, but it also isn’t terrible. The biggest issues are the structure, the pacing, the cinematography , and the acting from some of the extras.

There are a lot of fast zoom-ins on characters faces. There’s also too many shots of people freaking out, sitting in silence, or covering their trembling mouths as their eyes threaten to over flow with tears. The acting from Idris Elba, Rebecca Ferguson, Gabriel Basso (my personal favorite actor/character), and Malachi Beasley is great. The first hour and fifteen minutes is where this film is at its most watchable (The best part is the first forty minutes).

The decision to repeat the exact same events three times robs the proceedings of any tension, suspense, or reason to get invested at all. Each repeat doesn’t add any new insights or information beyond what we already knew after the first forty minutes. Doesn’t help that the leads you had started to like in the first segment are swiftly ripped away after this portion. The film never follows up with any of them except for two during the final minute or so.

Noah Oppenheim writes, having co-written The Maze Runner and The Divergent Series: Allegiant with others. His only solo screenwriting credit is for Jackie. It would appear Mr. Oppenheim thought he could write a great, compelling companion piece to Oppenheimer due to his last name. He was wrong.

Kathryn Bigelow is at the helm as director, but even she struggles to keep events past the forty minute mark engaging. I think the first forty minutes are great, the next thirty-two minutes are good/salvageable, and the last thirty minutes (minus the helicopter discussion) is straight-up ass. Once again, A House of Dynamite isn’t terrible. It’s far from being one of the worst of the year.

A House of Dynamite ends up being more frustrating than anything else. Shame, since the first forty minutes really showed potential and were actually really tense and effective. All the elements are here to make a great movie, but they never come together in the way they should. This is definitely one that sounded better on paper than it ended up actually being on screen.

2.5 STARS