Recent reviews

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  Review by Chris Gelderd ★★★

  Brosnan holds Bello and Butler's daughter hostage at their family home, as he takes them under his control for 24 hours in a series of 'tasks' that lead to their seemingly perfect life being slowly dismantled as they are pushed to the limit of what they will sacrifice and do to save their young daughter's life, only a phone call away...

  A very simple thriller, one with a glorious twist at the end. Brosnan is pretty dark in this post-Bond film and is easily relishing being a bad-guy!

  Very cheap to buy on DVD, but I would recommend this to see when you can when you want a simple and gripping film that isn't too wrapped up in itself to confuse you.

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  Review by ErixAntoine ★★

  [003] SHATTERED (BUTTERFLY ON A WHEEL) - Though structured like a standard kidnap/ransom/psycho thriller, this is far from a conventional genre film. It's also far from really being a good movie. But I like that it tries.

  I think the problem is that it's awkward.

  It's awkward to see Pierce Brosnan using his natural Irish accent to play an apparent psycho, and then spend most of that role sitting in the backseat of a car saying menacing things that make no sense. It's awkward to see the beefy Gerard Butler playing Dustin Hoffman from Straw Dogs and shouting the phrase: "For Christ's sake!" like 27 times in the course of 90 minutes. It's awkward to see Brosnan (who is 10…

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  Review by Travis McClain ★★★½

  From my original blog review:

  The Film
  Someone decided that the original film title, Butterfly on a Wheel, would confuse American audiences and so it was re-titled Shattered for its release in the States. The original title references the medieval acts of torture involving large wheels used to destroy human bodies as painfully as possible. Obviously, using one on a butterfly would be complete overkill, and that's the idea behind this film. Just as the Neil and Abby Randall (Butler and Bello) are going away for separate weekend getaways, their daughter is kidnapped in a plot engineered by Tom Ryan (Brosnan, in an unsettlingly sinister performance). Ryan torments and taunts the Randalls, and his motivation for targeting them is part…

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  Review by WesternUnion ★★½

  C+

  There's a big void at the center of this short film from which it never recovers, and it can be summed up in two words: Gerard. Butler. He should be playing extras with no lines or tenth-string thugs, not main characters.

  But seriously, the guy's a joke. His acting ability and knack for coping with being knocked out of his comfort zone are about equal to zero. I don't believe Maria Bello or Pierce Brosnan (as his WIFE and righteous tormentor, respectively) would consort with this idiot in the first place. They effortlessly wipe the floor with him performance-wise several times over on the screen for 1:30, FWIW. (50%)

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  Review by Si Jobling ★★½

  An Irishman holding a Scotsman hostage in Chicago over his daughter? Recipe for a disaster. Average thriller with an interesting twist right at the end.

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  Review by Jonathan Seamans ★★½

  Spotted this on Netflix and decided to check it out on a whim, as I usually enjoy the three lead actors. To their credit, the acting was quite good, but it still couldn't save the overly-cliched characters and writing. I'll admit I didn't see the final twist coming, but honestly it was a bit of a letdown from the previous 90 or so minutes of buildup. If you want to see Pierce Brosnan play a scumbag, but one that is actually an interesting character, check out The Matador.

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  Review by Tobias ★★★★

  I was surprised. While it’s overall a basic thriller I really enjoyed it. The story is good, it’s exciting, Pierce Brosnan is a great villain and I like the conclusion.
  It’s worth to watch so check it out if you have the chance.

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  Review by Lucamiras ★★★½

  Butterfly on a Wheel, or "Spiel mit der Angst" (Playing with fear) in German, is a nice thriller. But nothing more. The plot is okay, but nothing special. The acting is good, but nothing special, besides a really cool Pierce Brosnan as the villain; I liked him better in "Ghost Writer"
  If you have nothing better to do, watch it, you won't regret it, but better Thriller exist in this world. Ghost Writer, for example ;)