If you believe Hollywood, the Interwebs are dominated by genius-level psychos who use it for murderous mayhem. The latest film in this thriller sub-genre is Untraceable, which comes with a very sinister set-up.
A killer is out there and he's torturing people on live video on his imaginatively titled web site KillWithMe.com. The more people who log on, the quicker the victim dies.
Leading the hunt for this untraceable nutjob is Diane Lane's FBI internet technology expert. But as she zeroes in on her man, he makes her colleagues and family part of his special project.
Untraceable does make some scary points about the world's fascination with other people's suffering on the Internet. But it also oversells the argument. One scene has 50 million Americans – or one in six people – getting their jollies by logging onto watch a character die, fully knowing it makes 'em accomplices. We may be morally challenged, but I don't think we've sunk that low en masse yet.
A smarter script would've gone deeper into the central idea. As is, it's a serviceable framework for a so-so thriller.
Diane Lane is good as always as the harried cop, but her character and relationships are sketched in. Tom's son Colin Hanks impresses by walking the fine line between sinister and sidekick. But Untraceable plays its villain card too soon.
Director Gregory Hoblit did better with his thrillers Fracture and Frequency and this is at best a mildly suspenseful diversion.
What is odd is that, after Unfatihful and Under The Tuscan Sun, this is Diane Lane's third “un” film in the past few years. As a prefix, “un” is about right because this is unfortunately underwhelming and rates two and a half stars. Untraceable is in cinemas now.
Share
