Fatale (film)

Last updated
Fatale
Fatale film poster.png
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Deon Taylor
Written by David Loughery
Produced by
Starring
Cinematography Dante Spinotti
Edited byEric L. Beason
Music by Geoff Zanelli
Production
companies
Distributed by Lionsgate
Release date
  • December 18, 2020 (2020-12-18)
Running time
102 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$7 million [1] [2]

Fatale is a 2020 American psychological thriller film directed by Deon Taylor, from a screenplay by David Loughery. The film stars Hilary Swank, Michael Ealy, Mike Colter, and Danny Pino.

Contents

Fatale was released in the United States on December 18, 2020, by Lionsgate. The film received mixed reviews from critics and grossed $7 million worldwide.

Plot

Derrick Tyler is a former college basketball player who has gone on to build a successful sports management agency in Los Angeles with his best friend Rafe Grimes, representing African-American athletes. His marriage to Tracie, a real estate agent, is strained, all the while he suspects she is having an affair with someone else. Rafe is also pressuring him to sell the company to a larger corporation, which Derrick, valuing his independence, refuses to do.

During a business trip to Las Vegas, Rafe encourages Derrick to vent his frustrations by having a fling of his own. Removing his wedding ring and introducing himself as "Darren from Seattle", Derrick catches the attention of a woman at a bar. She admits she is also looking for casual sex, and after flirting on the dance floor, they end up in her hotel room. While trying to sneak out the next morning, Derrick discovers that she has locked his cellphone in the room safe and is coerced into having sex with her again in exchange for his phone.

Returning to Los Angeles, a guilty Derrick reconciles with Tracie. That night, Derrick hears what sounds like a break-in; investigating, he is attacked by a masked burglar and barely manages to fight him off. The police arrive and a detective assigned to the case, Valerie Quinlan, is revealed to be the same woman from Las Vegas. Valerie asks Tracie questions that have no relevance to the break-in and implies to Derrick that she could be compelled to reveal his affair or, for a price, keep silent. In her spare time, Valerie stalks her ex-husband, local politician Carter Heywood, who filed a restraining order against her after Valerie left her service weapon unattended while drunk and their daughter, Haley, accidentally shot herself, leaving the latter using a wheelchair. Valerie has also been stripped of custody rights and is desperate to get her daughter back, hoping a corruption scandal Carter is embroiled in will work in favor.

During her investigation, Valerie discovers that Tracie is cheating on Derrick with Rafe. She informs Derrick of this by encouraging him to peer into the window at the beach house where they rendezvous with a monocular she hands him to see for himself. Valerie also suggests that Tracie hired the burglar to kill Derrick. The shock and anguish is enough to briefly drive him back into Valerie's arms, before he confronts Tracie and Rafe directly, causing him to throw his wedding ring down as Tracie coldly mocks him. The next day, Derrick is arrested and Valerie tells him that Tracie and Rafe were murdered soon after he left them. The suspicion this throws on Derrick ruins his reputation and a district attorney intends to file charges.

Realizing Valerie committed the murders herself, Derrick confides in his cousin Tyrin who then, along with a friend, breaks into Valerie's apartment intending to force a confession, but she manages to distract them and gains the upper hand in the ensuing scuffle, shooting them both dead. Valerie then offers to frame Tyrin instead of Derrick for Tracie and Rafe's murders if he agrees to kill Carter, who has made it clear to Valerie that he can manipulate the courts in his favor and she will never see Haley again. Derrick approaches Carter while he is jogging and attempts to warn him, but a struggle ensues and Carter is accidentally shot dead.

Derrick goes to Valerie's apartment where she admits to killing Tracie, Rafe, Tyrin and Tyrin's friend. Valerie says she will kill anyone who prevents her from retrieving Haley. Derrick realizes this includes him and they shoot each other. As a wounded Derrick leaves, Valerie blindsides and stabs him repeatedly before he shoots her again, this time fatally. As Valerie dies, Derrick reveals that he recorded her confession and goes to meet the arriving police.

Cast

Production

In August 2018, Hilary Swank joined the cast of the film, with Deon Taylor directing from a screenplay by David Loughery. Taylor, Roxanne Avent, and Robert F. Smith produced the film, under their Hidden Empire Film Group. Endeavor Content also produced the film. [3] In September 2018, Michael Ealy, Mike Colter, Damaris Lewis, Tyrin Turner and Geoffrey Owens joined the cast of the film. [4] [5]

Principal photography began in Los Angeles in September 2018. [6]

Release

In August 2019, Lionsgate acquired distribution rights to the film. [7] It was initially scheduled to be released on June 19, 2020, but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. [8] It was then scheduled to be released on October 30, 2020, however, it was pushed to 2021 in early October. [9] However on November 23, 2020, it was moved up to December 18, 2020. [10] It was released via video on demand on January 8, 2021 by Lionsgate Home Entertainment.

Reception

Box office

In the United States and Canada, Fatale was released alongside Monster Hunter and was projected to gross $1 million from 1,107 theaters in its opening weekend. [11] The film grossed $330,000 on its first day and ended up opening to $918,112, finishing third at the box office. [12] [13] The film fell to sixth in its second weekend, grossing $659,825, then made $701,561 in its third weekend. [14] [15]

Critical response

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 45% based on 67 reviews, with an average rating of 4.9/10. The website's critics consensus reads: "While it's better than a fair number of other adultery-fueled stalker films, Fatale fails to generate as much heat as the superior erotic thrillers it evokes." [16] Metacritic reports a weighted average score of 42 out of 100 based on 13 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". [17] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale. [12]

Michael Ordona of the Los Angeles Times said it was fun to see Swank in a "different part" than her other films. [18] Glenn Kenny of The New York Times said that although the film "never builds up the froth of lurid delirium that brings genre pictures into a headier dimension, it's got enough juice to hold your attention". Mick LaSalle of the San Francisco Chronicle gave the film 2.5 out of 4 stars, saying that although the movie was "not necessarily good", the film "involves some real craftsmanship in terms of story". [19]

Christy Lemire of RogerEbert.com was more critical in her review and gave the film 1 out of 4 stars, saying that it "never fulfills its promise as a lurid, guilty pleasure". [20]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hilary Swank</span> American actress (born 1974)

Hilary Ann Swank is an American actress and film producer. She first became known in 1992 for her role on the television series Camp Wilder and made her film debut with a minor role in Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992). She then had her breakthrough for starring as Julie Pierce in The Next Karate Kid (1994), the fourth installment of The Karate Kid franchise, and as Carly Reynolds on the eighth season of Beverly Hills, 90210 (19971998).

<i>The Gift</i> (2000 film) 2000 American supernatural thriller film

The Gift is a 2000 American paranormal thriller film directed by Sam Raimi, with a screenplay written by Billy Bob Thornton and Tom Epperson based on the alleged psychic experiences of Thornton's mother.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tracie Thoms</span> American actress

Tracie Thoms is an American television, film, and stage actress and singer. She is known for her roles in Rent, Cold Case, The Devil Wears Prada, Death Proof, the Fox television series Wonderfalls; as of 2018 she has been a recurring cast member of the police and firefighter TV drama 9-1-1.

<i>The Resident</i> (film) 2011 film by Antti Jokinen

The Resident is a 2011 British thriller film directed by Antti Jokinen and starring Hilary Swank and Jeffrey Dean Morgan. Swank stars as a recently single woman who rents an apartment in New York City and comes to suspect that someone is stalking her. The film also features a cameo from Hammer Films star Christopher Lee, in his first collaboration with the studio since 1976's To the Devil a Daughter and his last before his death in 2015.

<i>Wonder Woman</i> (2011 TV pilot) American TV series or program

Wonder Woman is an unaired television pilot produced by Warner Bros. Television and DC Entertainment for NBC, based on the DC Comics character of the same name. David E. Kelley wrote the pilot, which was directed by Jeffrey Reiner. Adrianne Palicki starred as the main character. The Wonder Woman pilot was expected to debut in 2011, but NBC opted not to buy the series.

<i>The Homesman</i> 2014 film by Tommy Lee Jones

The Homesman is a 2014 Western historical drama film set in the 1850s Midwest and directed by Tommy Lee Jones. Jones, Kieran Fitzgerald, and Wesley Oliver based the screenplay on the 1988 novel of the same name by Glendon Swarthout. The film stars Jones and Hilary Swank and also features Meryl Streep, Grace Gummer, Miranda Otto, Hailee Steinfeld, John Lithgow, Jesse Plemons, and James Spader.

<i>The Perfect Guy</i> (2015 film) 2015 American film

The Perfect Guy is a 2015 American romantic thriller drama film directed by David M. Rosenthal, produced by Tommy Oliver and written by Alan B. McElroy and Tyger Williams and stars Sanaa Lathan, Morris Chestnut and Michael Ealy. Ealy and Lathan also served as executive producers on the film. The film centers on a single woman who falls in love with a man who harbors an obsession after she breaks up with him. The Perfect Guy was released in North America on September 11, 2015 and garnered negative reviews from critics, praising the filmmaking and performances but criticized the script for being underwritten and lacking in thriller moments. The film was a box-office success, grossing $60.3 million against its $12 million budget.

Vertigo Entertainment is an American film and television production company based in Los Angeles, founded in 2001 by Roy Lee and Doug Davison.

<i>Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life</i> (film) 2016 American family comedy film

Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life is a 2016 American live-action/animated family comedy film directed by Steve Carr and written by Chris Bowman, Hubbel Palmer and Kara Holden, based on the 2011 novel of the same name by James Patterson and Chris Tebbetts. The film stars Griffin Gluck, Lauren Graham, Rob Riggle, Isabela Merced, Retta, Thomas Barbusca, Andy Daly, and Adam Pally. It follows Rafael "Rafe" Khatchadorian (Gluck), a middle school student who sets out to break every one of the many rules made by his domineering principal (Daly).

<i>Wonder</i> (film) 2017 film by Stephen Chbosky

Wonder is a 2017 American coming-of-age family comedy-drama directed by Stephen Chbosky, who co-wrote the screenplay with Steven Conrad and Jack Thorne. It is based on the 2012 novel of the same name by R. J. Palacio and stars Julia Roberts, Owen Wilson, Jacob Tremblay, Mandy Patinkin, and Daveed Diggs.

<i>Run</i> (2020 American film) 2020 film by Aneesh Chaganty

Run is a 2020 American psychological horror thriller film directed by Aneesh Chaganty, and written by Chaganty and Sev Ohanian. The film stars Kiera Allen as disabled teenager Chloe Sherman, who begins to suspect that her mother, Diane, has been keeping a dark secret about her upbringing. The film has connections to other films by Chaganty and Ohanian and is the second installment in the filmmaking duo's Searching film series.

<i>The Hunt</i> (2020 film) 2020 film directed by Craig Zobel

The Hunt is a 2020 American action horror film directed by Craig Zobel and written by Nick Cuse and Damon Lindelof. The film stars Betty Gilpin, Hilary Swank, Ike Barinholtz, and Emma Roberts. Jason Blum was a producer under his Blumhouse Productions banner, along with Lindelof. Zobel and Lindelof have said that the film is intended as a satire on the profound political divide between the American left and right. It is about a group of elites who kidnap working class people to hunt them.

<i>Voyagers</i> (film) 2021 film by Neil Burger

Voyagers is a 2021 science fiction thriller film written, co-produced and directed by Neil Burger. It stars Tye Sheridan, Lily-Rose Depp, Fionn Whitehead, Colin Farrell, Chanté Adams, Isaac Hempstead Wright, Viveik Kalra, Archie Renaux, Archie Madekwe, and Quintessa Swindell, and follows a group of teenage astronauts sent on a multi-generational mission in the year 2063 to colonize a habitable exoplanet amidst runaway climate change and declining habitability on Earth, who descend into paranoia and social conflict after discovering that their personalities and emotions were being artificially suppressed. The film was theatrically released on April 9, 2021, by Lionsgate and was a box office bomb, grossing US$4.2 million against a $29 million production budget.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Isabel May</span> American actress (born 2000)

Isabel May is an American actress. She is most known for the role of Elsa Dutton as the narrator and protagonist of the Paramount+ series 1883 (2021–2022), reprising the role as the narrator of its sequel series 1923 (2022–2023). She starred as Katie Cooper on the Netflix series Alexa & Katie and had a recurring role as Veronica Duncan on the CBS series Young Sheldon. She held the lead role of Zoe Hull in the film Run Hide Fight.

Denise Yvonne Dowse was an American actress. She was best known for her roles as Mrs. Yvonne Teasley in the television series Beverly Hills, 90210 (1991–2000), Judge Rebecca Damsen in The Guardian (2001–2004), and Dr. Rhonda Pine in Insecure.

<i>Cobweb</i> (2023 American film) Film by Samuel Bodin

Cobweb is a 2023 American horror film directed by Samuel Bodin in his directorial debut. Its screenplay, written by Chris Thomas Devlin, was included in the 2018 the Black List, and follows a young boy, raised by overprotective parents, who suddenly hears noises coming from behind his bedroom wall. The film stars Lizzy Caplan, Woody Norman, Cleopatra Coleman, and Antony Starr.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">AGC Studios</span> American film and television production company

AGC Studios is an American film and television production studio. It was founded and launched by Chairman and CEO Stuart Ford in February 2018 as a platform to develop, produce, finance and globally license a diverse portfolio of feature films, scripted, unscripted and factual television, digital and musical content from its dual headquarters in Los Angeles and London. The new studio's Hollywood output has a wide-ranging multicultural focus, designed for exploitation across an array of global platforms including major studio partnerships, streaming platforms, traditional broadcast and cable television networks and independent distributors, both in the U.S. and internationally.

<i>Plane</i> (film) 2023 film by Jean-François Richet

Plane is a 2023 American action thriller film directed by Jean-François Richet from a screenplay by Charles Cumming and J. P. Davis. The film stars Gerard Butler, Mike Colter, Yoson An, and Tony Goldwyn. The plot centers on a pilot (Butler) allying with a prisoner to save his passengers from a hostile territory in which they make an emergency landing.

<i>Ordinary Angels</i> (film) 2024 film by Jon Gunn

Ordinary Angels is a 2024 American drama film. Directed by Jon Gunn and written by Meg Tilly and Kelly Fremon Craig, it is based on true events that transpired during the 1994 North American cold wave. It stars Hilary Swank, Alan Ritchson, Nancy Travis, and Tamala Jones.

References

  1. "Fatale (2020)". Box Office Mojo . Archived from the original on September 17, 2024. Retrieved March 8, 2021.
  2. "Fatale (2020)". The Numbers . Archived from the original on September 17, 2024. Retrieved February 27, 2022.
  3. Fleming, Mike Jr. (August 10, 2018). "Hilary Swank To Star In Deon Taylor-Directed Noir Thriller 'Fatale'". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved January 14, 2019.
  4. McNary, Dave (September 17, 2018). "Michael Ealy, Mike Colter Join Hilary Swank's 'Fatale' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety . Archived from the original on November 9, 2020. Retrieved January 14, 2019.
  5. N'Duka, Amanda (September 20, 2018). "Geoffrey Owens Joins Hilary Swank In 'Fatale' Thriller". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on October 27, 2020. Retrieved January 14, 2019.
  6. Dela Paz, Maggie (September 17, 2018). "Hilary Swank Thriller Fatale Adds Michael Ealy & Mike Colter". ComingSoon.net. Archived from the original on November 29, 2020. Retrieved January 14, 2019.
  7. Vlessing, Etan (August 22, 2019). "Lionsgate Nabs Hilary Swank's Noir Thriller 'Fatale'". The Hollywood Reporter . Archived from the original on January 16, 2021. Retrieved August 22, 2019.
  8. D'Alessandro, Anthony (May 1, 2020). "'John Wick 4' To 2022, While 'Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard', 'Spiral, 'Barb And Star' & More Head To 2021: Lionsgate Release Date Changes". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 2, 2020. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
  9. Welk, Brian (October 9, 2020). "Colin Farrell Sci-Fi 'Voyagers' and Hilary Swank Thriller 'Fatale' Bumped to 2021 by Lionsgate". The Wrap . Archived from the original on October 14, 2020. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  10. Hemmert, Kylie (November 23, 2020). "Fatale: Hilary Swank-Led Psychological Thriller Moves Up Release Date". ComingSoon.net. Archived from the original on September 11, 2022. Retrieved November 24, 2020.
  11. "Weekend estimates: Monster Hunter tops domestic chart, Wonder Woman rules the rest of the world". The Numbers. Archived from the original on December 20, 2020. Retrieved December 21, 2020.
  12. 1 2 D'Alessandro, Anthony (December 20, 2020). "'Monster Hunter' Takes In $2.2M Over Poor Pre-Christmas Pandemic Weekend Before 'Wonder Woman 1984' Shakes Up Theatrical Window". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on December 20, 2020. Retrieved December 20, 2020.
  13. "Monster Hunter' Debuts At No. 1 in North America With $2.2 Million, While 'Wonder Woman 1984' Underwhelms Overseas". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved December 21, 2020.
  14. D'Alessandro, Anthony (December 27, 2020). "'Wonder Woman 1984' Hits $16.7M At Domestic B.O. In Face Of HBO Max Release; Record For Pandemic, But -84% Lower Than First Pic's Opening". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on December 28, 2020. Retrieved December 27, 2020.
  15. Fuster, Jeremy (January 3, 2021). "'Wonder Woman 1984' Reaches $118 Million Worldwide, But Pandemic Forces 67% Domestic Drop". TheWrap . Archived from the original on January 3, 2021. Retrieved January 3, 2021.
  16. "Fatale (2020)". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango. Archived from the original on 2024-09-17. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
  17. "Fatale Reviews". Metacritic . Red Ventures. Archived from the original on September 17, 2024. Retrieved January 15, 2021.
  18. "Review: Hilary Swank is the femme, but is she 'Fatale'?". Los Angeles Times. 18 December 2020. Archived from the original on 2020-12-21. Retrieved December 21, 2020.
  19. "Review: Hilary Swank is a smiling, seductive, stone-cold psycho in 'Fatale'". San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on December 20, 2020. Retrieved December 21, 2020.
  20. "Fatale movie review & film summary (2020)". RogerEbert.com. Archived from the original on December 18, 2020. Retrieved December 21, 2020.