Extortion

Last night, i saw Extortion (2017) with high hopes, because the reviews were good, and the plot seemed interesting.

And it starts off as a thrilling ride.

The first two-thirds of the film excel in building a sense of urgency and desperation, drawing us into a tale of survival against nature's and human greed.

The vacationing family, the doctor and his wife and son, become stranded on a remote island after a boating mishap and the escalating tension and moral dilemmas faced by the protagonist are portrayed remarkably well.

However, the promising buildup takes an unfortunate turn in the final act, where the narrative begins to falter due to implausible situations. The descent into absurdity becomes more and more apparent as the once-grounded storyline travels into overly dramatic and unrealistic scenarios.

One such instance occurs when this doctor suddenly transforms into an action hero, navigating through dangerous situations with unrealistic ease. The transition feels forced and really doesn't align with the established tone of the movie.

Furthermore, the resolution of the plot relies heavily on convenient coincidences and improbable occurrences, further straining our suspension of disbelief.

In conclusion, "Extortion" is a nice little thriller with its intense premise and compelling build-up. However, its downfall in the final act is marked by implausible situations and a departure from its initial realism. Despite its flaws, the film remains a decent watch for those who can overlook its shortcomings in favor of its thrilling early sequences.

I didn't know what to expect from this film with no reviews posted as I write this. What I found was a thriller that contained wild twists and turns as it progressed, but which also contained, at times, such highly implausible plot elements that I found myself shaking my head in disbelief.

Eion Bailey stars here as Dr. Kevin Riley, who is about to embark on a much anticipated Caribbean vacation with his wife Jules (Bethany Joy Lenz) and their six-year-old son Andy (Mauricio E. Alemany). Upon arrival,they rent a boat from a local, but, at the urging of Andy, end up exploring a deserted island far out at sea. However, with their outboard motor failing and with no food or water, they will find themselves in a most precarious and dangerous predicament.

From there, a series of wild and life threatening events will begin, and without writing too many spoilers I will say that a local fisherman named Miguel sees a golden opportunity for extortion here. Barkhad Abdi, who was nominated for and won numerous awards for his motion picture debut in "Captain Phillips" again turns in an amazing and most believable performance as Miguel.

Overall, this movie, written and directed by Phil Volken, was better than I anticipated and certainly kept my attention throughout, but be prepared for some extremely implausible plot elements along the way.

I read a few of the reviews who hated the movie. "how did this make it to Netflix?" - I can tell you how :)

It is entertaining. I read people complaining about how unrealistic the movies are. But those are the same kinds of people who love the Transformers series :) Not saying the movie is unrealistic, but let's face it. It's a movie, not a documentary.

There are a few plot holes, I give you that. But as a software engineer I just roll my eyes when someone 'hacks into a system' (again) in some movie for the sake of storytelling.

I do not need every single detail of the movie to be well researched. Which is why it is a movie.

So much about the disclaimer :) The movie itself is good. Main characters do a great job, it takes you around a few turns in the Caribbean - and the overall message of the movie is great. Family matters more than money.

I rate it 7/10 because of the things that other people actually hated the movie for. I liked it, I just consider those gaps in research 'flaws', not total failures :)

It is definitely worth watching. It is well cast and entertainingly written and filmed. It's far from a B-movie or a low-budget production.

Whoever calls this low-budget doesn't know the first thing about production value.

I'm sorry but what sort of an idiot takes his family with a small child miles and miles out to sea on a tiny boat with what is practically a lawnmower engine? Come on daddy let's visit treasure island? What a treasure he is. The rest seems inevitable.... it's a watch though even if the circumstances of the situation are shockingly avoidable.

I caught myself being engaged from the start, things unfold just about how you'd expect in this type of movie although you don't know exactly, we've seen it all before, but it is done alright. Engaged, never bored, but never mindblown. The fugitive 'light' in the Caribbean, not much else to say. Polished feel. Well-deserved 7/10.