Solace

Name: Solace
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Thriller, Crime
Released: December 16, 2016
Duration: 101 min
Rating: 36
Cast: Abbie Cornish, Anthony Hopkins, Colin Farrell, Jeffrey Dean Morgan

2016

METASCORE

Generally unfavorable reviews based on 12 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 36 Ratings

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5.9

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5.9	User Score Mixed or average reviews based on 36 Ratings

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Solace

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Movie Details & Credits

Grindstone Entertainment Group | Release Date: December 16, 2016 | R

Starring: Abbie Cornish, Anthony Hopkins, Colin Farrell, Jeffrey Dean Morgan

Summary: When FBI Special Agent Joe Merriwether (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) is unable to solve a series of homicides, he decides to enlist the help of his former colleague Dr. John Clancy (Anthony Hopkins), a retired physician with psychic powers. The reclusive Clancy, who shuttered his practice and retreated from the world following the death of hisWhen FBI Special Agent Joe Merriwether (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) is unable to solve a series of homicides, he decides to enlist the help of his former colleague Dr. John Clancy (Anthony Hopkins), a retired physician with psychic powers. The reclusive Clancy, who shuttered his practice and retreated from the world following the death of his daughter and subsequent break-up of his marriage, wants nothing to do with the case. He soon changes his mind after seeing disturbingly violent visions of Joe’s partner, FBI Special Agent Katherine Cowles’s (Abbie Cornish) ultimate demise. When Clancy’s exceptional intuitive powers put him on the trail of a suspect, Charles Ambrose (Colin Farrell), the doctor soon realizes his abilities are no match against the extraordinary powers of this vicious murderer on a mission. [Lionsgate Premiere]… Expand

Director: Afonso Poyart

Genre(s): Drama, Mystery, Thriller, Crime

Rating: R

Runtime: 101 min

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Critic Reviews

Peter Debruge

Jan 8, 2016

Brazilian director Afonso Poyart (“Two Rabbits”) proves quite effective at building and sustaining a grim sense of suspense throughout. Read full review

Alan Scherstuhl

Dec 14, 2016

This paranormal cops-versus-serial-killer procedural is never not ridiculous, but it's often entertaining as well. Read full review

Noel Murray

Dec 15, 2016

The plot of Solace is ultimately too generic — and too silly — to take seriously, which is probably why the film’s taken so long to come out. But it has style, and throwback appeal. Read full review

RogerEbert.com Glenn Kenny

Dec 16, 2016

The directorial pyrotechnics keep Solace from “dragging” in a narrative sense; the very real boredom it nonetheless elicits is more existential. Read full review

Jeannette Catsoulis

Dec 15, 2016

Staggeringly silly and visually disordered. Read full review

Katie Walsh

Dec 15, 2016

The film is ponderous, the performances mostly subdued. Read full review

The Guardian Peter Bradshaw

Jan 8, 2016

This could be one of those rare and terrifying serial killer cases where the psychotic culprit apparently intends to bore and embarrass everyone to death with bad acting. Read full review

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User Reviews

Ralfbergs

Feb 19, 2017

Interesting idea and premise, really good cast of actors and Anthony Hopkins is really good in his role. Was interesting to watch throughout the first part of the movie, but it kind of gets more and more boring towards the end, plus quite predictable. They should've ended it somehowInteresting idea and premise, really good cast of actors and Anthony Hopkins is really good in his role. Was interesting to watch throughout the first part of the movie, but it kind of gets more and more boring towards the end, plus quite predictable. They should've ended it somehow differently for it to be better. I mean you don't get that thriller effect where you wonder what will happen next all the time, here it is just easy solutions… Expand

2 of 2 users found this helpful20

LeZee

May 16, 2017

The A list actors in a B movie, is the latest trend.

A bunch of great actors with their very good performances, but the story was merely okay, even though somewhat it was an enjoyable flick. 'Two Rabbits' was a good Brasilian thriller, this is from the same director and his Hollywood debutThe A list actors in a B movie, is the latest trend.

A bunch of great actors with their very good performances, but the story was merely okay, even though somewhat it was an enjoyable flick. 'Two Rabbits' was a good Brasilian thriller, this is from the same director and his Hollywood debut which is not a spellbinding. I expected a lot after knowing it was his film, it did not disappoint me either, but for the Hollywood standards this was a let down. If it would have been a Portuguese film, then no one would have complained much.

It was supposed to be a sequel to David Fincher's 'Seven', but failed to fuse both the stories. So then it became an independent narration. The title should have been 'Premonition', but there's already a movie with that name. Like I said the story was kind of a mix of other films. The theme was a too much intelligence, so it needed the clever writers for its screenplay. I only say it was a missed opportunity to turn the product like 'Law Abiding Citizen'.

For a concept like this, the scenes were too ordinary and the end has been just alright. The best thing about this was the entertainment it offered, no matter if you feel deja-vu of watching this film, you won't get bored. Top actors, but I still consider it a good quality B movie than an average quality A list movie.

6/10… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

TheQuietGamer

Mar 24, 2017

Solace wants to be so much deeper than it actually is. The problem is that the premise is just too absurd. Rather than diving into this absurdity and having some fun with things, director Afonso Poyart tries to go for self-serious and poignant. A pretty odd thing to do with in a movie aboutSolace wants to be so much deeper than it actually is. The problem is that the premise is just too absurd. Rather than diving into this absurdity and having some fun with things, director Afonso Poyart tries to go for self-serious and poignant. A pretty odd thing to do with in a movie about an old dude with psychic powers hunting down a serial killer. Plus the execution isn't quite there. Often when it tries to go for meaningful and intense, it just ends up embarrassing itself. Luckily though, not all of the fun from the core idea ends up process.

Like most movies that want to be something more, but ultimately just don't have the writing to back it up, Solace tries to trick audiences into thinking there's more going on underneath the surface with a flashy sense of style. Scenes carry that same artsy, overblown, and almost sterile feel and look to them that so many of this ilk use. The movie even looks pretentious. While this does lead to some cool looking moments, more often than not it's just unintentionally goofy and fails to carry the emotion Poyart was going for. It's style over substance. All flash and little to no bang. Anthony Hopkins does a fantastic job in the lead. No surprise there. He carries the movie until Colin Farrell shows up in the second-half and steals the show. Farrell's bizarre performance is the best part of the movie. So much so that he feels out of place amongst the rest of the cast. Of course that may not be saying much. It's not like really anyone else attached to the project is an A-list actor. Debatably, neither is Farrell. Yet, here he's just so good that he feels like one.

That's not to say that the rest of the cast outside of Hopkins and Farrell is bad. It's just that these aren't exactly big name actors. You'll see some familiar faces here and there. Mostly just supporting characters from The Walking Dead and Daredevil. So really outside of our leads the only people you'll really be paying attention to are Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Abbie Cornish, who share the spotlight. While Cornish is just kind of there, Morgan ends up being just as likable as Hopkins and Farrell in his own ways. Mostly just because of that sarcastic sense of humor and say anything style that made him so memorable in Watchmen and as Negan on The Walking Dead.

While it does let itself get distracted with pompous style and writing missteps, it's not a complete dud. It's still pretty cool to see Hopkins psychic powers in motion. His mind game of cat-and-mouse with Farrell is more entertaining than it has any right to be. The movie also has some fun shootouts, case work, and a car chase. Standard popcorn affair, but it works even if this is one of those movies where you can predict every little beat. Overly familiar, a little dumb, and it tries to be too serious and ends up with little to show for it. But darn if it doesn't have a (mostly) good cast. The biggest disappointment is that you can tell the people behind it were clearly trying to make something that deals with the complexity of how humans deal with the concepts of death, suffering, and loss, but ultimately just couldn't pull it off. Should have just stuck with some sci-fi, psychic fun. Oh well, not all it lost. It's still stupid fun in a lot of ways. It just needed better execution and more focus given on making it a fun psychic thriller, rather than an overambitious dark drama-thriller.

6.7/10… Expand

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

imthenoob

Feb 1, 2017

I love the premise and the cast. Hopkins still has his leading ability after all these years and that's something he always gonna have. The plot sadly never goes any where and doesn't remain interesting enough to wanna sit through. By far the most disappointing film of 2016.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

JLuis_001

Sep 6, 2017

Primarily, Solace is a practical and very simple film, but it has two high caliber players as the main characters, the story is convoluted and honestly somewhat ridiculous, but at least they put enough effort to be credible and its director did a good work with the style delivering a filmPrimarily, Solace is a practical and very simple film, but it has two high caliber players as the main characters, the story is convoluted and honestly somewhat ridiculous, but at least they put enough effort to be credible and its director did a good work with the style delivering a film that would have been better as TV production.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

gxm143

Jan 29, 2017

Really bad. Interesting premise for the serial killer, starts with promise, but the plot never gains traction. The second half especially is excruciating. Terrible waste of good actors.

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

eva3si0n

Jan 6, 2018

Except Hopkins in this movie especially to look and there is nothing. The plot first seems interesting, but in 20 minutes already we know a name of the antagonist and as he looks, and through his 5 stupid and senseless motives. Colin Farrell doesn't approach for this role at all. The endingExcept Hopkins in this movie especially to look and there is nothing. The plot first seems interesting, but in 20 minutes already we know a name of the antagonist and as he looks, and through his 5 stupid and senseless motives. Colin Farrell doesn't approach for this role at all. The ending is simply absurd. The movie obviously on the fan, except a fine game of Hopkins in him there is nothing.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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