Theatrical Reviews: A Walk Among the Tomstones

A Walk Among The Tombstones is incredibly “meh,”  While certainly enjoyable, the movie isn’t very exceptional.  People who read my reviews regularly may remember that I made a similar accusation of The Drop, but when compared to “Tombstones” The Drop looks like an avant gard masterpiece.

I think that the closest comparable title to “Tombstones” in recent years is Denis Villeneuve’s Prisoners from 2013.  they’re both dark brooding noir-infused dramas about investigations involving missing people.  Heck, For all intents and purposes they are the same movie, especially in the eyes of the movie going public.

The difference between the two is that while “tombstones” in certainly entertaining, it’s not really anything more then that.  Watching Prisoners was not only engrossing but emotionally devastating.  It was among the best movies to come out that year, but It’ll probably be a while before I watch it again.  It was basically the cinematic equivalent of getting punched in the balls; but in a good way.  “Tombstones” on the other hand isn’t really anything more then a mildly satisfying mystery that ends in a nice normal uninteresting conclusion.

“But James,” you, my imaginary reader might say, “It’s not fair to judge a  movie because it’s not the same as another unrelated movie.  If “Tombstones” is enjoyable, why are you judging it so harshly, and with unfair criteria?”

Well, inquisitive reader, I’m judging it in comparison to Prisoners because A Walk Among the Tombstones is more then just similar to Prisoners, It wishes it was Prisoners.  “Tombstones” director Scott Frank clearly wants his film to hit you hard and shock you in the same way that Prisoners did, but it doesn’t.  I’m not saying that Frank was trying to rip off Prisoners, but he clearly had the same exact goal in mind; and when a movie does not accomplish what its filmmakers set out to accomplish, then it’s hard to call it a success.

Yes the acting here is pretty decent, if a bit hammy at times; and so is the general plot.  The movie works in broad terms, but gets the specifics wrong.  It looks good, sounds good and even surprises good; but fails on analysis.  It kind of feels like a television episode in its narrative quality, and while there’s nothing wrong with that; I expect more intelligent from my neo-noir thrillers.  No risks are taken, no minds are blown and every one will forget about it in the next few weeks.

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On the surface this is a serviceable thriller, but look deeper and you’ll find a whole bunch of minute flaws that, added together, damage the film.  A Walk Among the Tombstones is worth checking out if you’re in the mood for a twisty (but not too twisty) crime thriller, but even then I’d probably wait for Gone Girl or The Equalizer in the few couple weeks.  “Tombstones” just isn’t very interesting or memorable.

Thanks for reading!  If you want to contact me or hire me as a private investigator feel free to email me at atchleyosaurus@gmail.com!  Check back later this week for a brand new Behind the Effects!