Movies similar to "Fracture" (Fracture, 2007): review, plot description

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

The 2007 American-German thriller Fracture was directed by Gregory Hoblit and starring Anthony Hopkins and Ryan Gosling. Despite mixed reviews from critics, the film received an IMDb rating of 7.20 and audience approval. The viewer almost from the first minutes of the timing took the side of evil and remained on it until the final credits. The genre of the film "Fracture" is a psychological thriller. At the same time, fans of the genre were somewhat disappointed by the excessive moral and ethical correctness of the narration by Gregory Hoblit.

Storyline Summary

Unlike the legendary antagonist Hannibal Lecter, in the film Fracture (2007) the hero of E. Hopkins is medically absolutely normal, but morbidly jealous. Having caught his wife with her lover, he did not make stupid scenes, but after saying a couple of phrases at parting, he simply shot her in the face. This is a unique combination of composure and temper, for which the viewer loves the key character of "Silencelambs." Perhaps that is why films similar to Fracture are often considered Jonathan Demme's masterpiece.

A woman after being shot at close range does not die, but falls into a coma. The would-be murderer, arrested red-handed at the scene of the crime, goes to trial. The accuser is a zealous careerist (Ryan Gosling), who achieves convictions in 95% of cases.

Intellectual against the winner

The plot and denouement of the film "Fracture" seem very predictable. However, it was not there. The self-confident accuser, deceived by the meek appearance of the suspect, soon comes to his senses. The murder weapon - the same pistol - is nowhere to be found. Hopkins' character refuses a lawyer and turns the trial into a pure farce. Even though Ryan Gosling's character isn't in the mood to play games, he still has to.

Further development of events demonstrates the entire arsenal of original ideas of the creators. The name of the film "Fracture" (2007) is more accurately translated as "Crack". It is explained by a Taoist parable that Hopkins' hero tells as a warning to his young adversary. It illustrates the structure of the world in general and the human psyche in particular.

When viewing, the viewer will remember a lot of films similar to "Fracture". All of them belong to the psychothriller genre.

Movies about smart people and for smart people

The list of films similar to "Fracture" opens a movie built on breaking the usual patterns. Thriller "Gone Girl" directed by one of the most gifted visionaries of our time - DavidFincher. In the tape, you can clearly feel the way out of the genre framework, the director elegantly manipulates all kinds of clichés, laying hitherto unknown plot paths. When describing the plot, it is extremely difficult to resist spoilers, because the picture is striking in the saturation of social, interpersonal and individual problems. The filigree work of the director, coupled with brilliant acting, turns the film "Gone Girl" (2014) into the flagship of the genre, which you want to review repeatedly.

At the center of the story is a married couple, Nick and Amy Dunn, whose fifth wedding anniversary turns into a nightmare. Returning from a run, Nick finds the doors of the house wide open, there are drops of blood in the living room, traces of a struggle and the disappearance of the missus. Naturally, he immediately becomes the prime suspect, because his alibi is doubtful, and it turns out that the Dunn couple were not a happy family. And Nick himself is sure that Amy's disappearance hides something more than a family quarrel or even a murder. So modestly, but without spoilers, you can characterize the plot of the film "Gone Girl" (2014). IMDb project rating: 8.10.

Love Crime Triangle

At the second position of the list is Andrew Davis' film "Perfect Murder" (1998). In the center of the story is the influential businessman Stephen Taylor (Michael Douglas), who learns about the betrayal of his young wife Emily (Gwyneth P altrow). Unable to accept what happened, he comes up with a plan for her "perfect" murder, but in the process of its implementation, unforeseen circumstances arise. Already on these facts and genre policy, the picturecan be attributed to films similar to Fracture.

In his thriller, director Andrew Davis exploits the imposing image of Douglas, who is not the first to transform into a we althy businessman from New York. It will be a surprise for the viewer to learn that the main character is driven not so much by resentment, jealousy and a thirst for love as by cold calculation and materialistic considerations.

In A Perfect Murder (1998), Michael Douglas plays confidently and skillfully, though without much psychological depth. In comparison with this actor, the rest of the colleagues look expressionless. There are many plot inconsistencies and undisguised clichés in the script. The picture is declared by the creators as a thriller, but there are few episodes in it that cause nervous tension. Plus, the story is deadly serious. IMDb movie rating: 6.50.

Judicial cases

Next in the ranking of films similar to "Fracture" is the work of director Brad Furman "The Lincoln Lawyer" (2011). In this solid thriller, starring Matthew McConaughey plays the sensitive-hearted lawyer Mick Heller, who takes clients in his own car. At some point, the director abruptly changes the style of narration. Heller's latest case, in which he undertakes to defend the infamous Louis Roulet, turns out to be a tangled tangle of all sorts of criminal cases.

Drama and thriller elements are woven into the detective intrigue in its essence, which turns the exciting action into a story overloaded with details. The undoubted success of the creators is considered to be the images of keycharacters. Ryan Phillippe is brilliant as a vicious tycoon, McConaughey, seen in a few mediocre comedies lately, is brilliant as a dramatic actor. Their game is more valuable than the confused circumstances in which their characters are put by the screenwriter and director. As a result, the rating of the tape - IMDb: 7.30.

Double life

Psychological thriller "Who are you, Mr. Brooks?" (2007) occupies not the last position of this list. In it, Kevin Costner appears as an ideal citizen, a family man leading a double life as a murderous maniac. The serial killer is known to the public for several common features of his atrocities, in ordinary life a successful businessman, a caring husband and a loving father. Behind strict glasses and an elegant bow tie, it is impossible to see a person calmly cracking down on unfortunate victims.

This detective thriller directed by Bruce A. Evans is just perfect: out of the box, smart, intriguing and exciting. What will happen is not clear until the very end. The director managed to avoid clichés throughout the entire runtime, and the ending is so discouraging and unexpected that it's hard to refrain from delight. Therefore, the ratings of the tape and the rating are worthy - IMDb: 7.30.

A delicate matter

It would be useful in this list to mention Billy Wilder's 1957 detective thriller Witness for the Prosecution. Screen adaptation of the work of the same name by Agatha Christie with the highest IMDb rating: 8.40 at the timeReceived 6 Oscar nominations. The main roles in the tape were played by Charles Lawton, Marlene Dietrich and Tyrone Power, for whom the film was the last appearance on the screen. Due to failing he alth, doctors forbid the brilliant lawyer Wilfrid Robarts to take criminal cases. But he is interested in the almost hopeless case of Leonard Vole, accused of the murder of a noble and we althy lady, Emily French. The fact is that the lawyer was closely acquainted with the deceased and knew that in the event of her death, according to the recently amended will, the entire inheritance would go to Vole. However, the investigation considers this fact a motive for the murder. The only witness for the defense is the wife of the accused, Christina Vole, so the hope for an acquittal is almost unjustified, and the case is vague. But Wilfrid, ignoring the instructions of the doctors, takes on this scrupulous process.

Revenge the system

The idea of vengeance on which this list's "Law Abiding Citizen" thriller is based is not innovative, but its execution is. Events in the project of director F. Gary Gray begin on one of the quiet evenings, when scum break into the house of a decent and modest engineer Shelton, kill his daughter and rape his wife. One of the perpetrators is sentenced to death, the second is set free after a deal with the court organized by Prosecutor Rice. Ten years pass, Shelton, disillusioned with the justice system, begins to implement a plan of personal retribution. He goes to prison and from there he carries out reprisals. Despite the uneven rhythmstorytelling and a somewhat rollicking script, the thriller earned an IMDb rating of 7.40. The picture looks in one breath, although some plot twists cause sincere bewilderment.

A dangerous rivalry

Another film about revenge and the imperfection of the judicial system on this list is the brainchild of Joel Schumacher's A Time to Kill (1996). According to the plot, the father of a 10-year-old black girl who was brutally raped by white bastards, driven to despair, arranges lynching. He shoots rapists who are released on bail point-blank. The man is sentenced to death. This case attracts the attention of a young lawyer, Jake, who undertakes to defend the defendant. The matter is complicated by the intervention of representatives of the Ku Klux Klan. Enlisting the support of a talented law student, the lawyer intends to win the case, despite the impending threat.

Court Drama

The success of Primal Fear (IMDb: 7.70) was largely unexpected. In the center of the plot is a young man accused of murdering the Archbishop of Chicago. Denying his involvement in the crime, despite the evidence, he convinces the lawyer of his innocence. During the trial, lawyer Martin Veil and prosecutor Janet Vinable, who are also former lovers, collide.

The success of the project can be explained by the presence of the star Richard Gere as the leading actor and the presence of scandalous motives for a sexual crime. But the main achievement of the picture, especially in comparison with a number of paintings about condemned,going to die”, is considered a sudden twist of the plot, prompting to recall the finals of cult films like “The Silence of the Lambs”, “The Usual Suspects” and the masterpiece “Seven”, which are not devoid of gloomy irony. Either the criminals have grown wiser on the screen, or the lawyers and investigators have become drastically stupid…

Recommended for viewing

Viewers who liked the psychological thriller "Fracture" can safely be recommended for viewing, in addition to those stated, the following films:

• The Detective directed by Kenneth Branagh, in which one trap hides another, and Michael Caine and Jude Law play a great showdown;
• The Silence of the Lambs directed by Jonathan Demme about Hannibal Lecter, an outstanding psychiatrist and surgeon with a true nature of a maniac and a cannibal;
• "A Few Good Guys" by Rob Reiner;
• "Dial 'M' for Murder"" by the consummate Alfred Hitchcock;
• Reasonable Doubt directed by Peter Hyams.