Netflix has been making a much better name for themselves in terms of feature films recently. From Always Be My Maybe to even last years Oscar-Winner in Roma, they are proving that they're not just in the game of making great television shows. With that said, they also have an endless slew of content that leans on the mediocre side, and while I wouldn't exactly call Point Blank (one of their recent releases) mediocre, it's certainly quite average and didn't live up to its fullest potential.
The premise is rather simple; Paul's (Anthony Mackie) wife is pregnant and nearing her days of possible delivery, but when she is kidnapped, he is willing to change who he is in order to save her life and their child. Being a nurse, he helps a murder suspect escape from the hospital and the two of them become unlikely partners in the underground crime world in order to fulfill both of their missions. This movie is nearly everything you've already seen a hundred time, so what makes it different from the others? The answer is not much.
Anthony Mackie has proven himself over the years as a great dramatic actor, so I wasn't surprised to see him give a solid performance here. What always impresses me, however; is the fact that Frank Grillo can pretty much do no wrong, in terms of making his characters believable. On top of their commitment to these characters, their chemistry lept off the screen and made this movie worth watching. Sadly, their chemistry (which, thankfully there is a lot of) is really the only selling point here, for the most part.
There is a lot of energy in terms of the film's pacing overall and at a mere 87 minutes, it doesn't overstay its welcome, but there just isn't enough substance in the script to really dive deep into this world that's set up. Personally, I enjoyed watching this movie but felt short-changed by the final few minutes. As you can tell the movie is coming to a close, I fear that many viewers may find themselves with a little more to be desired.
In the end, Point Blank ultimately deserves to have its debut on Netflix, but I also wouldn't have minded sitting in the theatre for 90 minutes with these characters either. It's really a mixed bag of drama and action for me, but I will sway a little more on the positive side this time and recommend it as a fine watch on Netflix if you're looking for a breezy viewing experience. Point Blank had a lot going for it, but overall, it feels like wasted potential, but in a good way at times.
