Lou (2022)

Streaming Service: Netflix
Movie Name/Year: Lou (2022)
Genre: Action, Crime, Drama
Length: 1h 47min
Rating: R
Production/Distribution: Bad Robot, Netflix
Director: Anna Foerster
Writer: Maggie Cohn, Jack Stanley
Actors: Allison Janney, Jurnee Smollett, Logan Marshall-Green, Ridley Asha Bateman, Matt Craven, Greyston Holt, Daniel Bernhardt, Ozzie & Jersey
 
Blurb from IMDb: A storm rages. A young girl is kidnapped. Her mother teams up with the mysterious woman next door to pursue the kidnapper, a journey that tests their limits and exposes shocking secrets from their pasts.
 

Selina’s Point of View:
I tend to enjoy thrillers like this one that have quick action, but a slow-burn story. It gives me something to feast my eyes on while waiting for every twist and turn.
 
Now, when I say ‘quick action’ I’m not trying to say it’s got any kind of John Wick-ness about it. If anything, the fight choreography in flicks like that lean toward fantasy. In the case of Lou, the combat felt extremely realistic. Where the titular character was always shown as great at what she does, she never seems invulnerable. Not only do they play up her arthritis, but she gets hurt.
 
There’s a real sense of danger in all the action. Not just the fights.
 
The characters battle against the environment as well, and at no point does there seem to be a ‘convenient’ answer to a problem. Every victory is hard won.
 

It’s a very gritty, bloody story, that is exceptionally written and well-acted.
 
Allison Janney (The Help, Lazy Susan, Bad Education) and Jurnee Smollett (Spiderhead, Birds of Prey, Sofia the First) have a tense, forced-cooperation, chemistry. Logan Marshall-Green (The Invitation, Upgrade, Spider-Man Homecoming) has a creepy-calm demeanor that really sells that final twist. Even 10-year-old Ridley Asha Bateman (Shattered, Shelter in Place) brought something to the screen that I think any other child actor would have been hard-pressed to accomplish.
 
I thought Lou was going to be an alright film. I underestimated it. There was a lot to enjoy about this flick. I highly recommend it.
 

Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – 70%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – 62%
Metascore – 51%
Metacritic User Score – 3.9
IMDB Score –X/10
 
Trust the Dice: Selina’s Rating – 5/5
 
P.S. If you go through reviews on Lou, be careful where you get them from. It got review-bombed upon release.
 
Movie Trailer: