There are a select few actors that I would classify as national treasures. But Denzel Washington is absolutely on that short list. His soothing screen presence, combined with boundless talent, makes him an actor I will watch in absolutely anything. Though I will eagerly take in his acclaimed showings in award-winning films, I am just as happy to see Washington slum it in an escapist thriller where he often elevates the material by virtue of just showing up. And that’s precisely how I feel about the 2003 film Out of Time.
Though Out of Time isn’t among Washington’s most noteworthy films, it is still a tightly executed effort. The film serves up plenty of twists and lots of steamy chemistry between Washington and his onscreen love interest, Sanaa Lathan.
The setup features Washington as Matt Whitlock, a small-town police chief who gets involved with a terminally ill married woman (Lathan). He makes the ill-advised decision to steal the proceeds from a drug bust to help her pay for an experimental cancer treatment. Despite his best efforts to keep his mistress alive, Whitlock’s lady friend dies under mysterious circumstances. And that’s just the beginning of the twist-filled narrative.
A Twisty Whodunnit
Although David Collard’s screenplay for Out of Time is widely viewed as formulaic, director Carl Franklin (Devil in a Blue Dress) keeps the action unfolding at a breakneck pace. As such, you’ll likely be too caught up in the narrative to nitpick the lack of original ideas.
I have seen the film multiple times. I keep coming back to it when I’m in need of a welcome distraction. In fact, I am so fond of it that I wrote a long-form piece speaking to the film’s appeal. The final paragraph of my complimentary coverage reads: “Out of Time may not tread a great deal of new ground, but it effectively executes familiar tropes and delivers a thrilling escape from reality. Anyone who enjoys a twisty whodunnit is sure to find much to appreciate about Out of Time.”
Watch the Trailer Now
If you’re in the mood to escape from reality and turn off your brain for 105 minutes, make your way over to Prime Video, where you can currently catch Out of Time streaming.
That’s all that we’ve got for you, for the time being. Make sure to stay tuned to Dread Central in the near future for more exciting updates from the streaming space.
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