If you doubt whether the saying “hell hath no fury like a woman scorned” is true, don't. I think people enjoy underestimating Kate Beckinsale's characters in movies and she wastes no time in displaying her formidable fighting skills and setting them straight. Ever since her impressive performance in the Underworld series, I've always looked out for her movies.
In this action comedy, Jolt (2021), Kate Beckinsale plays the role of Lindy, an unpredictable woman with a rare neurological disorder that causes her to experience violent outbursts and behaviour right from childhood. As an adult, she tries to manage her violent impulses with the help of her psychiatrist who prescribes an electroshock vest. The jolt from this vest restrains her from hurting people.
As part of Lindy's treatment, the psychiatrist recommends a blind date. She goes to a restaurant, meets Justin (played by Jai Courtney) and immediately likes him. After spending a night together, the following day Lindy learns he has been murdered. This situation upsets her and worse, the police seem indifferent because of some illegal circumstances. Lindy sets out to find her almost-boyfriend's killer.
Will she succeed in this mission or will she uncover something entirely unexpected and shocking about her personality?
Review
The plot of this movie is fascinating and so is the cast. I enjoy badass female leads and Kate Beckinsale is one of them. She is a formidable actress who delivers in every role and playing Lindy Lewis, a woman with violent tendencies, is no exception. She embodies her character convincingly.
Lindy is aggressive but kind and thoughtful thus making it easy to root for her despite the violent outbursts. In a sense, I believe this film hints that even the most flawed individual has a soft spot. It simply needs to be discovered by the right person. Her fight scenes are great but a little choppy probably due to the cinematography.
I'm not a fan of Jai Courtney because he plays the role of villain so well in the movies I've seen and it's annoying. He's lovable at the beginning of this film and I see why Lindy falls for him but a leopard can't change it's spots! It's good to see Stanley Tucci play the psychiatrist and he does it excellently.
The storytelling is good but it could be better than what director Tanya Wexler delivers to her audience. The pacing is okay but I feel the story was rushed. More details should have been revealed and they could be incorporated in a way that doesn't extend the viewing time. The visuals are sort of disjointed and the action sequences are not impressive in my opinion. Still, Kate Beckinsale did her best with what she was given.
The twist at the end of the film kept me on the edge of my seat. It's unexpected and portrays that Lindy's story is not over yet. There's more to come and if so, I hope the director will do better than this and fix the issues noted by critics and viewers. Either way, I would suggest not pursuing a sequel to this film because I'm unsure how it might turn out.
Overall, Jolt is a fine action comedy that's worth watching at least once, especially to see Kate Beckinsale in action. She's impressive in her role. I'll give it 3 stars out of 5.
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Other images are screenshots from the movie
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