A One Mann’s Movies review of “Jolt” (2022).
“Jolt” is a “B-movie”, but it’s an enjoyable enough action/comedy thriller with Kate Beckinsale. It’s currently pay-per-view but will be available to stream for free on Amazon Prime later this month (July 2022).
Bob the Movie Man Rating(s):
Plot Summary:
Lindy (Kate Beckinsale) has always had an acute anger management problem…. one that can lead to extreme violence. She is being treated by psychologist Dr Munchin (Stanley Tucci) through the use of electric-shock therapy which Lindy self-administers when required. But when the one man she has ever loved (Jai Courtney) is murdered, no amount of shock therapy can seem to curb Lindy’s murderous thirst for revenge.
Certification:
Talent:
Starring: Kate Beckinsale, Jai Courtney, Stanley Tucci, Bobby Cannevale, Laverne Cox, David Bradley.
Directed by: Tanya Wexler.
Written by: Scott Wascha.
Twitter Handles: #JoltMovie.
“Jolt” Review:
Positives:
- For all the absurdity in the story, the movie managed to entertain me (I saw this on a Virgin Atlantic flight).
- The movie has a nice comic edge to it. We see Lindy enacting the grievous bodily harm that she WOULD have inflicted on those that irritate her if she HADN’T pressed the button. (Is this overdone? Yes, it is rather. But it’s still quite amusing.)
- For her numerous “Underworld” fans, Kate Beckinsale is as decorous as always. And there’s a strong supporting cast here. Stanley Tucci is as naturally brilliant as always and David Bradley (the caretaker Filch in the Harry Potter films) making an unlikely ‘big boss’. Susan Sarandon even pops up with a cameo.
- There’s a nice twist at the end that I didn’t see coming.
Negatives:
- The movie was produced by Nu Boyana Studios who now have studios in Bulgaria, Portugal and London. The sets all try to enact an urban North American setting. But they are far from convincing and Beckinsale’s jarringly prim English accent further emphasises the falseness of the whole thing. (I’m also pretty sure some of the scenes were filmed on London’s South Bank!) This all makes the film feel curiously “mid-Atlantic” and rootless.
Monkey?
There’s a nice mid-credits “monkey” that made me laugh.
Summary Thoughts on “Jolt”:
We are firmly in B-movie territory here. But although it’s pretty mindless fun, it still manages to entertain. If there was a “Jolt 2”, I would probably go out of my way to give it a watch.
Trailer for “Jolt”
The trailer is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3BSSoD73TSk .
