Hot Take: There are a lot of positives about the drama/thriller Secret in Their Eyes but it never quite makes it over the hump of mediocrity due to it’s predictable twists and turns.
Have you been longing for a big screen version of all of the different versions of Law & Order crammed together only they don’t call it Law & Order and load it up with a powerful cast? Secret in Their Eyes, actually a remake of a 2009 Argentine crime thriller with the same name, was made for you.
Secret in Their Eyes contains some solid acting performances from Chiwetel Ejiofor and Nicole Kidman who have great chemistry which provides for a believable side story. However, the flashbacks occasionally get confusing and it’s sometimes hard to remember if you’re in the present or in the past. For some, I could even see the potential to lose total interest.
If you hang with the Secret in Their Eyes to the end, the third act, while a little implausible delivers a solid pay off. Overall, this well casted, weakly written thriller is something you might want to watch late at night on replay on TNT… maybe sandwiched between a few episodes of Law & Order.
“Spoiler Free” Pros
- Chiwetel Ejiofor
Of the main characters, Ejiofor delivers the strongest performance. His desire to catch the killer is believable even if the way the movie plays out isn’t. If there are things that happen with Ejiofor’s character that aren’t believable, blame the script not the actor who does the best with what he’s given to work with. - The Sexiness of Nicole Kidman
Kidman’s presence oozes sexiness on the screen. It’s easy to believe why a few of the male characters in the film are fawning for her attention.
“Spoiler Free” Cons
- Julia Roberts
This one feels phoned in. On a film with a meager $6.7 million budget, you’d expect a little more passion in the performance. - The Flashbacks
The characters look and feel very similar. There’s a modest attempt to age the characters but it looks like a half-assed attempt.