Surveillance (2009) Review

Review:
A pair of masked killers are on a cross-country killing spree. A couple are riding cross-country with a newly acquired stash of drugs and beer. A family is headed for a weekend vacation. And finally, two drunk cops are tracking down people who are 'exceeding the speed limit', so to speak. The only thing they have in common from the get go is there all involved in a murder mystery. As the film starts, the only survivors of this ordeal is a little girl, whom just witnessed her family fall victim to a brutal murder, a doped up girl whose boyfriend died in said murder, and a cop whose partner also fell victim to this hit and run murder. Two FBI agents (Bill Pullman & Julia Omond) have these three under constant surveillance while questioning them about what knowledge they hold of the incident.


Surveillance is a mixed bag: in some ways it succeeds as a decent thriller, and in some as a exploitive horror/suspense-esque film. Expressed in the opening scenes, and several following towards the end, it relies on brutal violence to put it's point across. Sure, people are killed for no apparent reason. In some parts random people are killed, bodies are shown. And there's even some ariel blood sprayed in a gooey scene where a car smashes a guy up pretty badly, but I wouldn't go as far as calling this a flat out horror movie. It's more of a 'CSI' type movie, and even has a little twist toward the end. I'll admit, it succeeds at that. At being a fun little thriller, it hits the mark well. Bill Pullman plays a FBI agent pretty well, his job to sit behind a row of screens examining all the conversations of the three survivors, getting all the information about the case at hand. Like the murderer's plan, things flow smoothly for a good portion of the film (with an exceptional screenplay by Jennifer Lynch, daughter of David) until the end, where without spoiling too much, I think things start falling apart. It comes at you out of nowhere, if you (like I) weren't paying attention much you'd probably never see it coming. I'm not saying you will or won't be completely satisfied, I'm just saying I thought it could have been played out better than it did.


But, aside from the ending I found Surveillance to be a pretty enjoyable little film. A bit corny at times, but all together a well-written, well-shot corny movie. And, well can all find ourselves watching and enjoying something of tis nature every once in a while.