Canary Black

Last updated
Canary Black
Canary Black Poster.jpg
Release poster
Directed by Pierre Morel
Written byMatthew Kennedy
Produced by
  • Sébastien Raybaud
  • John Zois
  • Carsten Lorenz
  • Renee Tab
  • Christopher Tuffin
  • Jeff Elliott
  • Marina Grasic
Starring
Cinematography Thierry Arbogast
Edited byTania Goding
Music byJessica Rose Weiss
Production
companies
  • Anton
  • Sentient Entertainment
  • Brickell & Broadbridge International
  • Oakhurst Entertainment
Distributed by Amazon MGM Studios
Release date
  • October 24, 2024 (2024-10-24)
Running time
101 minutes
Country
  • United Kingdom
LanguageEnglish

Canary Black is a 2024 British action-thriller film directed by Pierre Morel and written by Matthew Kennedy. The film stars Kate Beckinsale as a CIA agent on the run. It was released on October 23, 2024 by Amazon MGM Studios to generally negative reviews. [1]

Contents

Plot

Avery Graves is a CIA agent who steals a drive from a building in Tokyo. Then she comes home to the 3rd anniversary with her husband David. Later she meets Jarvis, her boss at the CIA. They speak of Kenji, who was using a business facade to ship arms to terrorists.

She comes home to find it trashed and her husband missing. A phone on the table says to get the Canary Black file by midnight and mentions a detainee number, or her husband dies. She asks for proof of life and is able to speak with her husband.

A hacker friend helps Avery locate the last call to the phone, and gives her the address. She then goes to work and searches for the detainee number - Laszlo Stoica. She goes to the address, and finds her husband's wedding ring and a phone on a table. She receives a call saying she has stepped on a pressure sensitive bomb. She opens the floor, sees that the device is a Bouncing Betty, effortlessly rips the leg off the sturdy table, triggers the bomb by taking the weight off her foot, and as the bomb flies straight up she bats it out the window. The explosion takes out the side of the building and leaves her slightly sooty. She gives a middle finger to the camera that is monitoring her and runs out the building and jumps in her car.

Agent Maxfield tells Avery about the detainee and links it to Kali who got his hands on a top secret file whose scope is deadly. She talks her way in to see the detainee, roughs him up, pulls out his fake tooth, but the secret container in it is empty. She fights her way out of the facility, and is now on the wanted list.

Evans tells Jarvis that Canary Black is said to be a top secret master list of blackmail material for all government personnel. Avery calls Jarvis from his own home and tells him her husband has been kidnapped. Soon thereafter, CIA storms Avery's place.

Avery gets a video call of her husband tied and beaten. It's now 8:00 PM, only 4 hours remaining. She meets with Jarvis in his car, but is suddenly captured by the CIA - Jarvis had trapped her. As the car is driving away with her, another car with masked men shoots at them. Her car is toppled, but she manages to escape. A masked man attacks, but she stabs him with his own knife. It is her neighbor Niklaus, but he dies before she can get anything out of him.

Evans meets with Breznov and they form a partnership. Avery checks into a hotel under an assumed name with guns and arms. She climbs out, and enters Evans's room. She puts a mute mask on Evans and asks him for his account password. But the password doesn't work because the account is frozen and can be accessed only with computers inside PLK Technologies. She calls her hacker friend and asks for a CIA server secure access.

The hacker friend gets a drone and Avery rides it into PLK technologies. Logs into the server with password and copies Canary Black files. She escapes the building on the same drone. They finally see what is on Canary Black - it's not a blackmail list, but a virus that causes computer systems to crash - a doomsday virus for each country. Avery texts Jarvis to track her phone and goes to answer the phone about her kidnapped husband, but a man tasers and kidnaps her.

Breznov transmits a video to the Global Unification Summit about his access to Canary Black, the geo-targeted computer virus, which can end internet usage and create a stock market crash. He requests a ransom of 1% of GDP of every country, roughly a trillion dollars. As an example, he targets Singapore, cutting off all power.

Jarvis tracks the phone and locates the hideout, but is captured by Breznov who kills him. His watch, which contains a tracking device, is used by the CIA to find his body. As Avery is hanging on chains, her husband David is shot. But surprisingly, David grabs a knife and kills everyone around him. It turns out that David told Breznov about Canary Black. David reveals that he is Kali.

Ransom money slowly starts pouring in. But David kills the power to transmit the virus. Avery kills Breznov and is able to stop the virus from uploading completely.

Avery returns the ring to David, says their marriage is beyond fixing. CIA arrives - David escapes, but Avery is arrested. While she is in custody, Elizabeth Mills arrives, and offers Avery a job at MC6 instead of prison - a new organization that takes on critical missions on the highest scale of threat.

As Avery is walking outside, she sees her wedding ring on a handrail, indicating that her husband is still alive.

Cast

Production

Canary Black was first introduced at the 2022 Cannes Film Market as a spy thriller directed by Pierre Morel, written by Matthew Kennedy, and starring Kate Beckinsale. [2] At the American Film Market later that year, the first images of the production were released as Anton put the film up for sale. [3]

Filming began in Croatia in October 2022, [4] and continued through January 2023. [5] Filming took place primarily in Zagreb, where shooting interrupted service for several trams in Zagreb to control the environment of the outdoor action sequences, [6] [5] which included Beckinsale flying over the city from a drone and hanging from rooftops. [7] Filming in Zagreb utilized the Dinamo Zagreb's Stadion Maksimir as a movie set, and the city of Rovinj doubled for Tokyo. [5] The end scene was filmed in Ljubljana, Slovenia at the triple bridge.

Release

Canary Black was released on Prime Video on October 24, 2024. [8]

Reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes , 18% of 11 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 4.3/10. [9]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kate Beckinsale</span> English actress (born 1973)

Kathrin Romany Beckinsale is an English actress. The only child of actors Richard Beckinsale and Judy Loe, she debuted onstage in a 1992 production of Noël Coward's Hay Fever.

<i>Cellular</i> (film) 2004 American film directed by David Ellis

Cellular is a 2004 American action thriller film directed by David R. Ellis. The film stars Kim Basinger, Chris Evans, Jason Statham, William H. Macy with Noah Emmerich, Richard Burgi, Valerie Cruz and Jessica Biel. The screenplay was written by Chris Morgan, based on a story by Larry Cohen.

<i>Vacancy</i> (film) 2007 American horror film by Nimród Antal

Vacancy is a 2007 American horror film directed by Nimród Antal and written by Mark L. Smith. It stars Kate Beckinsale and Luke Wilson as a married couple who book at the motel after their car breaks down and are soon stalked by masked killers for their snuff films. It was released April 20, 2007, by the distributor Screen Gems.

<i>The Golden Bowl</i> (film) 2000 drama film directed by James Ivory

The Golden Bowl is a 2000 period romantic drama film directed by James Ivory. The screenplay by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala is based on the 1904 novel of the same name by Henry James, who considered the work his masterpiece. It stars Kate Beckinsale, James Fox, Anjelica Huston, Nick Nolte, Jeremy Northam, Madeleine Potter, and Uma Thurman.

<i>Red Road</i> (film) 2006 film by Andrea Arnold

Red Road is a 2006 psychological thriller film directed by Andrea Arnold and starring Kate Dickie, Tony Curran, Martin Compston, and Natalie Press. It tells the story of a CCTV security operator who observes through her monitors a man from her past. It is named after, and partly set at, the Red Road Flats in Balornock, Glasgow, Scotland, which were the tallest residential buildings in Europe at the time they were built. It was shot largely in a Dogme 95 style, using handheld cameras and natural light. The Observer polled several filmmakers and film critics who voted it as one of the best British films in the last 25 years.

<i>Snow Angels</i> (film) 2007 film by David Gordon Green

Snow Angels is a 2007 American drama film written and directed by David Gordon Green, based on Stewart O'Nan's 1994 novel, and starring Sam Rockwell and Kate Beckinsale. The film is centered on several characters dealing with loss of innocence in a small town. It premiered in the dramatic competition at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival, and was released in the United States on March 7, 2008, by Warner Independent Pictures.

Underworld is an action horror film series created by Kevin Grevioux, Len Wiseman, and Danny McBride. It follows characters who are caught up in a war between vampires and werewolves. Most of the films star Kate Beckinsale as Selene. The first film, Underworld (2003), introduces Selene, an elite vampire-warrior who defies her orders, and Michael Corvin, a human who gets caught up in the war. The second film, Underworld: Evolution (2006), follows Selene and Michael as they are hunted by their enemies. The third film, Underworld: Rise of the Lycans (2009), is the prequel to the series, chronicling the origins of the vampire-lycan war. The fourth film, Underworld: Awakening (2012), is the sequel to Underworld: Evolution. In this film, humans have discovered the existence of vampires and lycans, and are trying to eradicate both species. A fifth film, titled Underworld: Blood Wars (2016), focuses on Selene who tries to stop a new war between vampires and lycans.

<i>Nothing but the Truth</i> (2008 American film) 2008 American film

Nothing but the Truth is a 2008 American political drama film written and directed by Rod Lurie. The film stars Kate Beckinsale, Matt Dillon, Angela Bassett, Alan Alda and Vera Farmiga. According to comments made by Lurie in The Truth Hurts, a bonus feature on the DVD release, his inspiration for the screenplay was the case of journalist Judith Miller, who in July 2005 was jailed for contempt of court for refusing to testify before a federal grand jury investigating a leak naming Valerie Plame as a covert CIA operative, but this was merely a starting point for what is primarily a fictional story. In an April 2009 interview, Lurie stressed: "I should say that the film is about neither of these women although certainly their stories as reported in the press went into the creation of their characters and the situation they find themselves in."

<i>Taken</i> (film) 2008 film by Pierre Morel

Taken is a 2008 English-language French action-thriller film directed by Pierre Morel and written by Luc Besson and Robert Mark Kamen. It stars Liam Neeson, Maggie Grace, Leland Orser, Jon Gries, David Warshofsky, Katie Cassidy, Holly Valance and Famke Janssen. In the film, Bryan Mills, an ex-CIA officer, sets to track down his teenage daughter Kim and her best friend Amanda after they are kidnapped by Albanian human traffickers while travelling in France during a vacation.

<i>Everybodys Fine</i> (2009 film) 2009 film by Kirk Jones

Everybody's Fine is a 2009 American drama film written and directed by Kirk Jones, and starring Robert De Niro, Drew Barrymore, Sam Rockwell and Kate Beckinsale. It is a remake of Giuseppe Tornatore's Italian film Everybody's Fine. In Brazil, Russia and Japan, the film was released direct-to-DVD.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pierre Morel</span> French film director and cinematographer (born 1964)

Pierre Morel is a French film director and cinematographer. His work includes District 13, From Paris with Love, and Taken.

<i>Stonehearst Asylum</i> 2014 film

Stonehearst Asylum, previously known as Eliza Graves, is an American psychological horror film directed by Brad Anderson and written by Joseph Gangemi. It is loosely based on the 1845 short story "The System of Doctor Tarr and Professor Fether" by Edgar Allan Poe. The film, starring Kate Beckinsale, Jim Sturgess, Michael Caine, Ben Kingsley, and David Thewlis, was released on October 24, 2014.

<i>Before We Go</i> 2014 film directed by Chris Evans

Before We Go is a 2014 American romantic drama film directed by Chris Evans in his directorial debut. It stars Evans and Alice Eve as two strangers stuck in Manhattan, New York City, for the night.

<i>Underworld: Blood Wars</i> 2016 film by Anna Foerster

Underworld: Blood Wars is a 2016 action horror film directed by Anna Foerster from a screenplay by Cory Goodman, based on a story by Kyle Ward and Goodman. It is the sequel to Underworld: Awakening (2012) and the fifth installment in the Underworld film series. The film stars Kate Beckinsale, Theo James, Lara Pulver, James Faulkner, and Charles Dance.

<i>The Disappointments Room</i> 2016 American psychological horror film

The Disappointments Room is a 2016 American psychological horror film directed by D. J. Caruso, written by Caruso and Wentworth Miller, and starring Kate Beckinsale and Mel Raido as a couple in a new house that contains a hidden room with a dark, haunted past. The film was inspired by an HGTV episode from a segment called "If Walls Could Talk".

<i>Unlocked</i> (2017 film) Action thriller film by Michael Apted

Unlocked is a 2017 action thriller film directed by Michael Apted, written by Peter O'Brien, and starring Noomi Rapace, Orlando Bloom, Michael Douglas, John Malkovich and Toni Collette. It was Apted's final film before his death in 2021. It was released in the United Kingdom on May 5, 2017, by Lionsgate.

<i>Unforgettable</i> (2017 film) 2017 film directed by Denise Di Novi

Unforgettable is a 2017 American drama thriller film directed by Denise Di Novi and written by Christina Hodson. The film stars Rosario Dawson, Katherine Heigl, Geoff Stults, Isabella Rice, and Cheryl Ladd, and follows a divorcée who begins to torment her ex-husband's new fiancée.

The Widow is a British television drama series created and written by Harry and Jack Williams, airing on both British ITV and American streaming service Amazon Prime Video, with Prime also carrying the series internationally. It stars Kate Beckinsale as a woman who believes that her husband was killed in a plane crash three years earlier, but then discovers that he is still alive in the Congo. The show was released on Amazon Prime Video on 1 March 2019 before being broadcast on ITV from 8 April 2019.

<i>Jolt</i> (film) 2021 American film

Jolt is a 2021 American action comedy film directed by Tanya Wexler and written by Scott Wascha. The film stars Kate Beckinsale, Susan Sarandon, Bobby Cannavale, Laverne Cox, Stanley Tucci, and Jai Courtney. It was released on July 23, 2021, by Amazon Studios

<i>Black Site</i> (2022 film) 2022 American film by Sophia Banks

Black Site is a 2022 American action-thriller film directed by Sophia Banks and written by Jinder Ho. The film stars Jason Clarke, Michelle Monaghan, and Jai Courtney. It was released on May 3, 2022, by Vertical Entertainment and Redbox.

References

  1. ↑ "Rotten Tomatoes - Canary Black critic reviews". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved December 17, 2024.
  2. ↑ Wiseman, Andreas (May 5, 2022). "Kate Beckinsale Set To Star In Spy Thriller Canary Black For Taken Director Pierre Morel & Anton — Cannes Market". Deadline Hollywood . Penske Media Corporation.
  3. ↑ Ntim, Zac (November 1, 2022). "Canary Black: First-Look Image From Action Thriller Starring Kate Beckinsale & Rupert Friend — AFM". Deadline Hollywood . Penske Media Corporation.
  4. ↑ Zajović, Milena (October 25, 2022). "Spy Thriller Canary Black Starring Kate Beckinsale Starts Shooting in Zagreb". Film New Europe Association .
  5. 1 2 3 Sovar, Josip (December 19, 2022). "Canary Black: Filming Locations Revealed". Fiction Horizon.
  6. ↑ Simmonds, Lauren (November 10, 2022). "Canary Black Filming to Disrupt Zagreb Trams for Several Days". Total Croatia News– via Poslovni dnevnik.
  7. ↑ Cresswell, P. J. (November 10, 2022). "Kate Beckinsale hangs from a drone while filming in Zagreb". Time Out Croatia.
  8. ↑ "13 new films you won't want to miss from Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios this fall". Amazon . 2 August 2024. Retrieved 3 August 2024.
  9. ↑ "Canary Black". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media . Retrieved December 10, 2024. OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.