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Category: Blackout

BLACKOUT

Director:  Rigoberto Castaneda

Year of Release:  2008

I have heard Blackout described as a horror film, I wouldn’t go quite that far, I would say, if anything, it is more of a psychological thriller, although it certainly isn’t for the faint hearted.

The basic premise is 3 people get trapped in a malfunctioning lift, as the time ticks by (with the hours that the trio have been trapped occasionally appearing on screen) they get more and more desperate to escape.  Except for the first 15 minutes or so, most of the none-lift action takes place in flashbacks.  It is interesting that, as the story unfolds, you are slowly shown the true nature of each of the characters, and the real reasons they have for wanting to get out of the lift as quickly as possible. The fact they don’t disclose these reasons to each other adds to the tension.

Aidan plays Karl, a doctor who is recently widowed and has a young daughter, she is the reason why he wishes to escape, I think to say anything else might spoil things, but let’s just say this is not one of the nicest characters Aidan has played. Although, unlike other films where Aidan has simply played the ‘bad man’ there is some complexities to this character. Karl has a charming exterior which hides a dark side, which slowly comes out the longer he is confined in the lift. His interaction with the other characters changes as his anxieties increase and he slowly unravels before our eyes.

The other two characters (the film is basically a three hander) are Claudia, a shy girl who is desperate to get back to her grandmother and Tommy (played by a young Armie Hammer) who on the surface is a typical sulky teenage boy but has hidden depths. 

This is one very intense film, and the escape attempts (of which there are several) will leave you on the edge of your seat, this is particularly true when someone enters the apartment building (vacant due to refurbishment) in search of one of the characters. 

I know we are all biased but essentially this is Aidan’s film, it’s a great performance, a proper bad boy role with some substance rather than a ‘paint by numbers’ terrorist.  It helps that this is not a film which focuses on a hero who must beat the bad guy to save the day, it is more nuanced than that, and therefore Aidan’s character is not as one dimensional as some he has played in the past.

Would I recommend this film? Personally, I would watch it even if Aidan weren’t in it, and it is one of the few of Aidan’s ‘American’ films that I really enjoyed. But as I said at the beginning. Blackout isn’t for the faint hearted, there are scenes of female torture and rape, which is why it has an R rating. If you can stomach that. then I urge you to seek this film out for a great Aidan performance, interesting characters, and a gripping storyline.