A twisted tale of revenge, retribution and reward Terminal, a film noir (a movie marked by a mood of pessimism, fatalism, and menace), enters the realm of home video on Blu-ray and DVD. Since the 1950’s mostly indie filmmakers have been able to bring this genre to the screen with a lot of success. The standouts include Chinatown by Roman Polanski, Taxi Driver by Martin Scorsese, Body Heat by Lawrence Kasdan, Basic Instinct by Paul Verhoeven, Blue Velvet by David Lynch, Pulp Fiction by Quentin Tarantino, Training Day by Antoine Fuqua and Sin City by Robert Rodriguez. With Terminal, writer/director Vaughn Stein makes his full feature debut with this raw, menacing and very dark story that melds nicely into the world of film noir. It’s a surprising winner.
Annie (Margot Robbie), a scathing and dauntingly young woman, enters a confessional booth and tries to make a deal with the mystery man, Mr. Franklin, sitting in the seat on the other side of the screen. She wants to take on all of his assassin work. As guarantee she can handle the jobs, she offers her life against the current hit man on his payroll. So begins a sordid tale that will take her into the foreboding streets, railways and back rooms of a neon lit city of sin.
Nicely written, directed and played out by a very cool cast, Terminal truly fits the murky genre with twists and turns every step of the way. Although this is Vaughn Stein’s first shot as a full length feature as writer/director, he’s no stranger to filmmakers. With 29 credits as an assistant and unit director of such films as Beauty and the Beast, In the Heart of the Sea, The Danish Girl, World War Z, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, and 17 episodes of TV’s “Elementary” he shows with Terminal he was certainly able.
His acting crew puts out brilliant performances keeping the temperament of the film moody, broody and tantalizingly pernicious. As the lead Annie, Oscar nominee Margot Robbie (as Tonya, in I, Tonya) nails the role with her evil stare, cringing smile and laugh, daunting delivery and wicked ways. She’s a killer on the loose looking for a pay day and letting no one get in her way of achieving her success. She uses her salaciousness to draw in her quarry, her quick banter to ward off dangerous advances toward her, and a few tricks that adversaries never see coming. She’s Harley Quinn (Suicide Squad) with a lethal weapon; sensuality. Robbie’s career acting range is amazing from the sultry Naomi in The Wolf of Wall Street to Jane in The Legend of Tarzan, she dominates the screen as she does here in Terminal. Look for her in theaters as Queen Elizabeth I in the film Mary Queen of Scots that will be released in December 2018.
It’s great to see Mike Meyers back in film after the failed “The Gong Show” TV series didn’t work. Here he’s a lowly Night Supervisor for Terminal Train Lines cleaning up after everyone in the middle of the night. As Clinton he’s just another hard worker who makes his way letting nighttime riders know when the last train arrives at the station and hoping they’ll move along. He gets involved in the plot when he’s asked to deliver a message to evil hitman Vince (Dexter Fletcher) who treats him like dirt.
As for Dexter Fletcher, he makes the film sinister as the hitman Vince. He’s Mr. Franklin’s current ace assassin and one that Annie will have to face sooner or later to get possession of the jobs. He’s at the top of his game having an apprentice helper Alfred (Max Irons) to do most of the dirty work. While he’s a cunning killer, his age has dulled down his quickness and weakened his smarts. Still jealous of not being the center of attraction when a gorgeous dame is around, he’s easy prey for someone with skills.
The film’s locations, sets and costumes are a huge part of Terminal. Especially the neon signs that guide the viewer through the maze of shops and apartment buildings. Keep your eyes peeled throughout the story as they are directions being traveled, locations that the players at trying to get to and a whole lot more. Cinematography combined with special lighting and some CGI also keep the film to stay in noir mode. Also the song “Danny Boy” whistled by Clinton gives the movie and eerie feel from the very beginning to the very twisted ending.
BONUS FEATUES:
“The Cast of Terminal” (6 min.) along with director Vaughn Stein the main stars talk about their characters and how they fit into the movie.
“Building the World of Terminal” (6 min.) It’s a making of Terminal as a film noir from the cast and crew of the movie. It includes how they came about the sets and the people who dressed it. The locations and how they lit them to fit into the film. This feature is a must see for budding filmmakers and the curious about filmmaking.
“From Concept to Creation” (2 min.) from opening credit sequence to some of the most visual pieces from the film are pointed out and compared to their original concept drawings.
“Photo Gallery” selected shots from the film.
Terminal has not been rated by the MPAA, but contains brute violence, language, and some sex. Be cautious when immature children are around during playing the home video.
FINAL ANALYSIS: An excellent movie for film noir fans and those who just like a mystery with a lot of twists. (4 out of 5 Stars)
Specifications and additional video information:
Cast: Margot Robbie, Simon Pegg, Mike Myers, Max Irons, Dexter Fletcher,
Director and writer: Vaughn Stein
MPAA Rating: Not Rated, contains violence, profanity, sexuality
Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller, Film Noir
Running Time: 1hr 35 min.
Video Release Date: June 26, 2018
Original Theatrical Release Date: May 11, 2018
Language: English
Reviewed Format: DVD
Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1
Video: Widescreen, Aspect Ratio 1.78:1
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish
Number of Discs: 1 Disc
Distributed by: RLJE films
Released in: DVD
Writer, critic, film editor John Delia, Sr. has been on all sides of the movie business from publications to film making. He has worked as a film critic with ACED Magazine for more than 20 years and other publications for a total of 40 years. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Florida. John is a member of the Southeastern Film Critics Association and Critics Association of Central Florida Send John a message at jdelia@acedmagazine.com
