Extortion

Last night, i saw Extortion (2017) with high hopes, because the reviews were good, and the plot seemed interesting.

And it starts off as a thrilling ride.

The first two-thirds of the film excel in building a sense of urgency and desperation, drawing us into a tale of survival against nature's and human greed.

The vacationing family, the doctor and his wife and son, become stranded on a remote island after a boating mishap and the escalating tension and moral dilemmas faced by the protagonist are portrayed remarkably well.

However, the promising buildup takes an unfortunate turn in the final act, where the narrative begins to falter due to implausible situations. The descent into absurdity becomes more and more apparent as the once-grounded storyline travels into overly dramatic and unrealistic scenarios.

One such instance occurs when this doctor suddenly transforms into an action hero, navigating through dangerous situations with unrealistic ease. The transition feels forced and really doesn't align with the established tone of the movie.

Furthermore, the resolution of the plot relies heavily on convenient coincidences and improbable occurrences, further straining our suspension of disbelief.

In conclusion, "Extortion" is a nice little thriller with its intense premise and compelling build-up. However, its downfall in the final act is marked by implausible situations and a departure from its initial realism. Despite its flaws, the film remains a decent watch for those who can overlook its shortcomings in favor of its thrilling early sequences.

This is a good film. The guy is a Heart specialist not a boat mechanic yet everyone complains about his inability to fix a boat engine or lawn mower. How are the two related. I can fix an engine so should I be able to mend a human heart 🤣.Priceless medical hands rarely risk injury. Everyone has opinions and think that they know best and that is the norm. Detectives assuming that he killed his family for the insurance etc etc. In real life there are people just that stupid. So it really is not far fetched at all. Watch it and make your own mind up.

I have changed my opinion as I have recently watched quite a few 2 star films that have been edge-of-your seat stuff and some deadly boring 5 star movies. I no longer give star ratings any credit. Especially as people are now "credited" for highly rating certain movies/games/albums etc.

The only conclusion I have after watching Extortion is that it could have been much better. The movie is entertaining, there is no doubt about that, but there are too many plot holes in the story. Many times I was thinking "How the hell could he knew that?, That's not possible, Yeah right, and so on". And that's never good in a well balanced story. The acting wasn't bad though, but it could have been better sometimes. The ending wasn't great either, I thought they were just tired of writing a good ending for a movie that could have been much better if they put a bit more effort into it. But to watch once it's okay if you just want some entertaining and you are not to fuzzy about the perfection in a story.

I didn't know what to expect from this film with no reviews posted as I write this. What I found was a thriller that contained wild twists and turns as it progressed, but which also contained, at times, such highly implausible plot elements that I found myself shaking my head in disbelief.

Eion Bailey stars here as Dr. Kevin Riley, who is about to embark on a much anticipated Caribbean vacation with his wife Jules (Bethany Joy Lenz) and their six-year-old son Andy (Mauricio E. Alemany). Upon arrival,they rent a boat from a local, but, at the urging of Andy, end up exploring a deserted island far out at sea. However, with their outboard motor failing and with no food or water, they will find themselves in a most precarious and dangerous predicament.

From there, a series of wild and life threatening events will begin, and without writing too many spoilers I will say that a local fisherman named Miguel sees a golden opportunity for extortion here. Barkhad Abdi, who was nominated for and won numerous awards for his motion picture debut in "Captain Phillips" again turns in an amazing and most believable performance as Miguel.

Overall, this movie, written and directed by Phil Volken, was better than I anticipated and certainly kept my attention throughout, but be prepared for some extremely implausible plot elements along the way.

More realistic than most shootem up movies, especially if you have ever known family love or responsibility. After the first half hour it was constant fear or action all the way until the end.