A mystery thriller can stand out for a couple of reasons. In most cases, the investigative aspect of the script needs to be invigorating enough to keep us glued to the screen. The stylistic elements, be it the type of compositions, color grading, or sound design, need to immerse us in the film’s environment. The characters need to be compelling, and the themes need to be explored to the best of their potential. David Fincher’s “Zodiac” is an excellent example of all these elements done right. Sadly, the same cannot be said of Terry McDonough’s “Damaged,” which feels like an amateur crime thriller at best.
Before saying anything further, I’ll make something clear. For this review, I received a screener with an unfinished version. A few bits of post-production were yet to be done. So, the screener included notes claiming that some shots would be added later. Heck, there was even a frame with a green screen! With all these issues, how was I supposed to suspend my disbelief? As if that’s not enough, the provided video had an extreme amount of contrast, which accentuated the visual darkness.
Therefore, I cannot speak specifically about the film’s stylistic choices, which is a shame since it seemed to withhold some potential for appreciation. Even some dialogues were written on the screen, which will likely be added later. So, this review is based on ‘assumptions’ about what will be the final version. This means I can only briefly talk about the editing and have to delve mostly into its writing and acting performances.
The film follows Chicago detective Dan Lawson (played by Samuel L Jackson), who arrives in Scotland to help solve a series of murder cases. They are eerily similar to the cases he worked on in the US about five years ago. For some reason, he could not find the culprit. While Dan kept working in the same department, his colleague Bravo (played by Vincent Cassel) left the job. He moved to Europe and devoted his time to writing. After that, he and Dan lost touch with each other. Still, both stayed in touch with deducing the root of a crime and constructing a narrative to make sense of challenging situations.
Dan joins Scottish Det. Boyd (played by Gianni Capaldi) and his associate Kessler (played by Kate Dickie) to solve a series of murders that share similarities to the ones he investigated in the past. There is religious symbolism at the scene of these murders that look like hate crimes. While looking for clues and answers, Lawson and Boyd make some shocking discoveries about their possible suspects.
As these thrillers generally unravel, we see the needle moving from one person to another. We see a side of them that makes them look like the perfect culprits. Be it their strange past, their behavioral pattern, or their reputation, it gets briefly discussed in connection with the recent victims. Besides, the detectives also try to find the possible purpose why they could have committed the crimes. By showing brief glimpses of contrasting sides of personalities, the script alludes to their flaws.
While treading the usual waters of this genre, the film brings a couple of intriguing themes to notice. The most prominent ones are loss and grief. “Damaged” shows these characters struggling to make sense of their complicated emotions. The issue is that these themes are visible merely through a dramatic showcase. There is no deeper exploration, as expected. Even a lucrative theme, like the tricky distinction between sanity and insanity, is only used for shock value. This is disappointing, considering the enormous potential for a cerebral exercise.
“Damaged” also fails to make an emotional impact. It occasionally feels bearable during breezy conversations between the characters that make them seem like humans rather than just puppets to explain the narrative. Gianni Capaldi, Samuel L Jackson, and John Hannah get enough screen time to show their chops. Mr Jackson seems to enjoy playing this intriguing investigator, which is reflected in his performance. On the other hand, Vincent Cassel feels underused, and Kate Dickie, even more so. Yet, all their skills can turn “Damaged” only into a bearable viewing, which essentially feels like an amateurish attempt to make an investigative crime thriller.
