STUDIO: Amazon Studios/Millennium Media | DIRECTOR: Tanya Wexler | CAST: Kate Beckinsale, Bobby Cannavale, Jai Courtney, Laverne Cox, David Bradley,
Ori Pfeffer, Susan Sarandon, Stanley Tucci
STREAMING RELEASE DATE: July 23, 2021
SPECS: R | 91 min. | Action comedy
Kate Beckinsale comes up from the Underworld with a Jolt, the action-comedy that starts with a spark and ends with a fizzle.
All her life, Lindy (Beckinsale) has suffered from Intermittent Explosive Disorder (yep, it’s a real thing!), a condition that triggers sporadic rage-filled, murderous impulses. In Lindy’s case, it’s made even worse at the hands of her uncaring parents, various inept medical institutions and a disastrous stint in the army. Her bizarre afflition has left her alone and unable to find connection in a world that doesn’t understand her. Hope finally comes in the form of a wearable device developed by her therapist Dr. Munchin (Stanley Tucci, Supernova) that delivers self-administered jolts of electricity when her impulses begin to get out of control. When Munchin pushes Lindy to go on a blind date with the charming and accepting Justin (Jai Courtney, Honest Thief) she finally trusts a man long enough to fall in love. But just as their romance burgeons, Justin is murdered, prompting a heartbroken and enraged Lindy to embark on a vengeance-fueled mission to find his killer.
Working from an intriguing premise by first time screenwriter Scott Wascha, director Tanya Wexler (who most recently helmed the enjoyable Buffaloed) keeps up a fun, frantic pace, successfully delivering kickass fight sequences along with comically sardonic scenes — my favorite being a round of baby football. Wascha’s script smartly takes the time to make Lindy a well-rounded character with emotions and sensitivities that go beyond just murderous rage. Beckinsale, who has the tough woman part down, infuses Lindy with a nice range of sarcastic defiance and pathos. Able supporting players Bobby Cannavale (Motherless Brooklyn) and Laverne Cox (Promising Young Woman) are a hoot as the police officers assigned to the investigation, which involves figuring out if Lindy is their killer.
Unfortunately, the final act begins to falter, delivering a twist that jolts Lindy in a cruel way and ultimately comes off as silly and somewhat convoluted. A quick cameo by Susan Sarandon (Blackbird) as a mysterious government agent sets Jolt up for a possible sequel, but I’d much rather see a spin-off with the team of Cannavale & Cox as a pair of bickering, crime-solving detectives.
Watch Jolt
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