Extortion (2017)

That was an excellent one.

Overrated and overhyped

Don't listen to the negative reviews

Easily the biggest piece of Right wing non sense propaganda I ever saw.

In the DVD version of "Extortion," the film's writer-director Phil Volken describes how he wanted to make a film that would have "universal" implications, engaging viewers with the story of a desperate man on the run faced with "one obstacle after to another." Volken's ultimate goal was "a story people can relate to."Unfortunately, the film was slow for the first half, then, when the action scenes kicked in, they were often so difficult to believe that the film collapsed into preposterous moments that lost all sense of credibility. That's not the kind of universality that the director desired.There is a defining moment early in the film when the protagonist, a medical doctor named Dr. Kevin Riley, is about to leave on a vacation with his family, but seems unable or unwilling to figure out the operation of his power lawnmower. That detail has consequences later when the doctor is stranded on an island after he is unable to restart his rented motor boat. In turn, the doctor is blackmailed by an extortionist fisherman, who demands a million dollars to bring the hapless family back to civilization. The extortionist is played by Barkhad Abdi, who does a virtual re-enactment of his villain role in "Captain Phillips."In his attempt to save his wife and young son, Dr. Riley makes one mistake after another, leading him deeper and deeper into a hopeless situation. His plight is compounded by the ineptitude of one of the most incompetent police forces imaginable. Suddenly, Dr. Riley goes from being the hunter to the hunted as the drama plays out.In the bonus segment of the DVD, the writer-director described the challenges of filming on water. Members of the cast and crew became seasick, and the shoot was a laborious process. The filmmakers deserve some credit for an effective climactic action sequence in the sparkling blue water of the Caribbean. At the same time, the there were far too many scenes that stretched credibility to the limit and kept the film out of reach of the major goal of "a story people can relate to."

Great direction and writing from Phil Volken; a name to watch out for if this film is anything to go by, thoroughly entertaining, great acting and suspense adds up to a gem of a movie.I wasn't hoping for much but every now and again you find a little diamond Of a film amongst all the coal and this sure exceeded my expectations.Danny Glover was his usual excellent self and all the actors performed admirably.Quite an exciting ride , so if you are looking for a decent action adventure thriller this one is it!This beats all of the high budget ones like Girl On A Train and virtually all of the rubbish that has come out this year!The ending almost left me speechless but then the helicopter appeared so it loses one star - ah well the yanks like a happy ending!

it's a good thriller except the ending should be very complete :D I hate when they make a full movie and don't complete the ending. Else it shows when a bad luck strikes it doesn't come alone. I love the main character. love of family is a real.this movie is about how far you can go for your family to survive and to see them alive and happy again.

Kevin Riley (Eion Bailey) is the county hospital heart surgeon who can't fix his own lawn mower. So when he takes his family out for a boat ride, we already know he won't be able to fix it. They get help from Miguel (Barkhad Abdi) who extorts money from the doctor then leaves everyone for dead. Kevin manages to survive and the authorities (Danny Glover etc.) don't seem to be any help, thinking he planned the whole thing for the insurance money. Kevin conducts his own investigation to find his family...Eion Baily is not Liam Neeson so when he gears up to go "walking tall" there is no adrenaline rush. A doctor who can't fix a lawn mower has zero MacGyver potential too. He is not a former SEAL or special operative, just a guy. Danny Glover has a role smaller than his billing, meaning they can't sell the film on it's own merits. Low energy.Guide: F-word. No sex or nudity.