Mark Williams tries his best to put together a spy thriller story in Blacklight (2023). However, despite his efforts, the story falls short of becoming anything noteworthy. The narrative lacks a solid premise, resulting in an unsatisfactory thriller and a rushed climax that leaves the audience feeling disappointed with the overall narrative. As a fan of Liam Neeson, it’s truly disheartening to see him investing his time in such scripts. Nevertheless, if he’s pursuing these projects to relish his remaining days in the industry, there’s no obligation on our end at all.
Spoilers Ahead.
Blacklight (2022) Plot Summary and Movie Synopsis
The film starts with Sophia Flores, an activist, who is challenging the government in the upcoming election, and the people seem to love her very much. Although it’s going to be a long shot, by the look of the circumstances, it feels like the people might elect her in no time. Later that night, two men kill Sophia, which is only seen as an unfortunate accident that has nothing to do with politics.
However, a reporter named Mira Jones starts investigating the matter. She finds out there is much more to it than being an accident. Sophia’s death also shakes up a young man named Dusty Crane, who is on the verge of losing his mind. He knows something regarding Sophia’s death that may lead to his death as well. There comes a time when he is thinking about his next step while sitting inside the car with a gun beside him. A police officer sees this, and Dusty picks up a fight with him. Subsequently, Dusty ends up in jail.
What does Travis Block do to Dusty?
We see the protagonist of the story, Travis Block, rescuing one of the FBI agents who blows up her cover and is now on the verge of getting killed by the locals. Travis has his own ways of rescuing agents that are important to the FBI. His record is tremendous in such cases. Anyway, he is tasked with bringing in Dusty, who, by the way, is an agent himself.
Travis goes to the police station. He helps with his release and asks the inspector to remove the data they have on his arrest. Later, Travis is required to receive his granddaughter from the school, so he handcuffs Dusty inside the car and goes to his granddaughter. Meanwhile, Dusty finds a way to uncuff himself, and by the time Travis comes back, he sees Dusty running away with a garbage truck.
Travis chases him and finds out that Dusty is meeting with a woman. Later, Travis follows her and learns that she is the reporter who has written articles about Sophia Flores. Anyway, Travis asks her to contact him if Dusty tries to contact her again. Soon Dusty connects with Mira again, and this time Travis follows him. However, when Dusty sees Travis, he runs away only to get shot by two men. They are the same men who killed Sophia.
Before getting shot, Dusty reveals that FBI agents are killing innocent people, and Sophia Flores is one of the many victims. Dusty is himself assigned to the Sophia case. But, since he believes that this is not right, he is gathering all the proof so that the FBI Director, Robinson, can be put in the spotlight. However, Robinson is a very cunning personality, as he has already sent his agents to kill Dusty and remove all the evidence.
What happens to Travis’ family?
When Travis learns that Robinson is behind everything, he starts his own investigation, and since his approach is more direct, he questions Robinson directly. He and Robinson share a history together, and now Travis works directly for him. Robinson denies all the acquisitions, and Travis says that he is retiring from his work. Robinson sort of warns him that there is no going back from the work they have started together.
A few days later, Travis finds out that his daughter and granddaughter are kept in a secret location in the name of witness protection. He meets with Mira before all of this, right after Dusty’s death, and finds out about Operation Unity. When asked about it, Robinson pretends as if he has no knowledge about it. In the time when Travis is gathering information from Mira, he explains his relationship with Robinson.
What is the relationship between Travis and Robinson?
In 1975, Travis and Robinson were soldiers in a war. Travis finds out a man was about to sexually assault a local woman, so he shoots him dead. Later, they find out that he was their commanding officer and it was a wrong judgment from Travis’ end. At that time, Robinson asked him to run away, saving him from all the trouble he could have faced for such a mistake. Now, when Robinson becomes the Director of the FBI, he calls Travis back to work, where he will be required to rescue the agents outside the paperwork. Meaning if anything were to happen to Travis during the rescue missions, Robinson does not know him.
What happens to Drew?
Mira has gathered enough theories to put together a story that can showcase the truth of the FBI. But, no matter how many times she approaches her editor of the website, Drew Hawthorne, he rejects the idea. But, one day, Mira finds out that Drew has written an article based on Mira’s findings and published it on the front page. Mira is very much angry with this, and when she confronts Drew, he appears to be sorry about this act.
Later that night, Drew calls Mira, and the call goes to voicemail. He expresses how sorry he is for stealing her information to craft the article. Soon he is followed by a car, and as it turns out, that article is not taken politely. Robinson has sent his agents to kill Drew, and they do so without any mistake. Mira discusses this matter with the other editors of the news site. Together they come to the conclusion that the FBI Director Robinson is behind all the killings.
Blacklight (2022) Movie Ending Explained:
What does Travis do to rescue his family?
Travis now understands that whatever may happen, he must ensure his daughter’s and granddaughter’s safety. However, Mira has called and told him that there is enough proof to charge Robinson directly with the murders. She asks for Travis’s comment on the matter so that she can publish the article. Travis rejects this proposal. However, he says that Robinson keeps a safe in his house where there might be all the valuable information about each mission so that he can always find a way to survive if things go upside down.
So, Travis makes himself ready to secure the information about Operation Unity. But Robinson is always one step ahead. The agents come into Travis’s house to locate him and kill him for good. Only this time, Travis plays the game with an upper hand as he looks at them directly from the outside of his house and blasts their car. He then pays a visit to Robinson and makes him show the hard disk that contains all the information about Operation Unity.
But soon, the house is surrounded by FBI agents. Travis manages to get the hard disk successfully to Mira. He fights against all the agents before doing so. Now, Mira has all the proof she requires to write an article that will show the American people the FBI Director’s true colors. They also find out that Dusky was tasked with getting close to Sophia Flores. But, in the process, he somehow fell in love with her.
Read More: In the Land of Saints and Sinners (2023) Movie Ending Explained: Did Doirreann Kill Finbar?
Robinson comes to know about their relationship getting serious. So he puts other agents to kill Sophia so that Dusky does not become a liability. But his retaliation was not counted, and things started to fall apart right from there. Later, we see Travis seize control of Robinson’s car. After a gunfight, he convinces him to confess all the criminal activities he has done throughout his tenure, especially Operation Unity.
In the end, Travis comes to meet his daughter and granddaughter in the safe house. He finally is able to retire and spend more time with his granddaughter, which he has always planned to do. Meanwhile, Robinson confesses to all his crimes, and he is arrested. Mira’s article is published, and a lot of people thank her for fearlessly fulfilling her journalist role, and for showing the real truth about the government.
![Geographies of Solitude [2022]: ‘Berlinale’ Review – A visually stunning documentary on a solo woman living on an island](https://www.highonfilms.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Geographies_of_Solitude_YoungZoe-768x465.jpg)
![Apollo 10 ½: A Space Age Childhood [2022] Review – Richard Linklater’s Latest Is Charming, Funny And Calming](https://www.highonfilms.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Apollo-10-1-2-A-Space-Age-Childhood-768x433.webp)
