Lou (2022) is an action thriller that follows an old woman named Lou Adell with a sketchy past who is forced to rescue a little girl who has been kidnapped. The film is now streaming on Netflix.
Story
Lou is a grumpy older woman who lives by herself on a small island with a tiny population. She has a trailer on her property occupied by a single mother named Hannah and her daughter Vee.
Hannah’s husband passed away a few months prior but she hasn’t told her daughter yet. Lou is planning to kill herself and gets her affairs in order for when she’s gone.
When a predicted storm hits, Vee is kidnapped by her father, who is a former military man with a violent and twisted past. Lou has to hold off on her suicide to help Hannah get her daughter back.
As they search through the woods and coast of the island, it is gradually revealed that Lou was an agent in the CIA and she has a chequered past of her own. Even bigger revelations come to light as Lou hopes to find Vee and get her safely back to Hannah.
Performances
Allison Janny plays the grizzled veteran, Lou Adell, and while there isn’t much original about the character, Janney does justice to the role and portrays it brilliantly.
Jurnee Smollett takes on the role of Hannah, the abuse survivor who will do anything to get her daughter back. She displays her stubbornness perfectly and is a great foil for Lou’s closed-off personality.
Logan Marshall-Green is average as the ex-army man who has a lifetime of trauma because of his mother. There are moments where he gets that across quite well but overall he isn’t given enough depth to make an impact.
Positives
The cinematography is great as the essence of the forest and the coastline is captured exquisitely. The scenes shot as they’re travelling through a storm feel very real and rugged.
The final fight between Lou and Philip plays out to a great score and the faint sounds of the crashing waves which is an amazing creative decision. It really raises the intensity and emotion of the situation.
Negatives
The story is far too predictable and one that has been told several times before. The narrative of an older person with combat training paired up with a civilian to rescue someone else who has been kidnapped can describe way too many films before this.
Even the connection between Lou and Philip can be seen a mile away by anyone who has some experience watching movies. The fact that is connected to the coup of Iran is a nice touch but isn’t explored enough to make the audience care sufficiently.
Verdict
Lou (2022) is an action thriller film that never really gets off the ground but has some emotionally hefty moments to ensure it’s a decent watch. Allison Janney gives a great performance even though her character is just another version of the “Taken” protagonist that is being portrayed by so many actors over the age of 50 in recent years.
Lou
Director: Anna Foerster
Date Created: 2022-09-23 12:30
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