Bad Samaritan is a thriller in the vein of Alfred Hitchcock. What Dean Devlin has done with the direction of the film is make a Hitchcock film for the 21st century.

Sean Falco (Robert Sheehan) and Derek Sandoval (Carlito Olivero) use their employment as valets for Nino in order to run a burglary scheme while patrons eat their meals.  It’s all fun and game until Sean happens upon the home of Cale Erendreich (David Tennant).

It’s not until Sean starts working his way through Cale’s house before the Hitchcock vibes start to begin.  It wouldn’t be possible without cinematographer David Connell’s framing, Brian Gonosey’s editing, and Joseph LoDuca’s score.  All three of these have to work together in order to get everything just right and it’s enough to scare viewers out of their seats.  The moment that Sean discovers a woman, Katie (Kerry Condon), in chains is the moment in which the film begins to go full-on Hitchcock thriller.

What Sean doesn’t know is that Cale has the technology capable of turning on all the power in the house and being able to check in on Katie.  Appropriately, Sean begins to freak out and rightly so.  He’s already got a rap sheet and calling the cops comes with the risk of going to jail.  After talking it over with his buddy, Derek, he places that anonymous call.  From there on out, things go sour very quickly with Cale seeking to ruin him,

Sean has every reason to fear the safety of his family in addition to his girlfriend, Riley Seabrook (Jacqueline Byers).  With Cale out to ruin Sean by any means necessary, it’s probably a good idea to go off the grid.  This is a thriller so of course, they’re going to ignore any rational choices.

Cale calls himself the “decider” who believes that people need to be corrected.  Why that is, I don’t know.  He’s been troubled ever since he was a child.  There’s something about watching the Doctor Who alumnus in taking on the role.  It’s a villainous role that is–not to hammer the point home–right up there with the great Hitchcock villains.  Throw in the 21st century technology and I wouldn’t want to cross paths with him!

It’s solid performing all around by the actors.  The Irish actor, Sheehan, is able to carry his own weight against the Scottish Tennant.  This is no easy feat either especially with Tennant placing himself into the category of the greatest movie villains of all time.

I like where Dean Devlin is taking his filmmaking career.  He has stepped outside of the studio system to release Bad Samaritan in a way similar to that of Steven Soderbergh.  It’s a completely independent film.  This film is being self-distributed by way of Electric Entertainment and Legion M has partnered on as an investor.  With being a fan-owned production company, Legion M doesn’t have to answer to Wall Street.

When all the ingredients come together, Bad Samaritan is a thriller in which the great Alfred Hitchcock would applaud.

DIRECTOR:  Dean Devlin
SCREENWRITER: Brandon Boyce
CAST:  David Tennant, Robert Sheehan, Carlito Olivero, Kerry Condon, Jacqueline Byers

Electric Entertainment opens Bad Samaritan in theaters on May 4, 2018.