Zipper (film)

Last updated
Zipper
Zipper Movie Poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed byMora Stephens
Written byMora Stephens
Joel Viertel
Produced by Mark Heyman
R. Bryan Wright
Amy Mitchell-Smith
Marina Grasic
Joel Viertel
Starring Patrick Wilson
Lena Headey
John Cho
Dianna Agron
Christopher McDonald
Ray Winstone
Richard Dreyfuss
CinematographyAntonio Calvache
Edited byJoel Viertel
Music by H. Scott Salinas
Production
companies
Magnolia Financial Group
Protozoa Pictures
33 Pictures
Hyphenate Films
Cargo Entertainment
Distributed by Alchemy
Release dates
Running time
112 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Zipper (also known as Reckless) [1] is a 2015 American political thriller film written and directed by Mora Stephens and starring Patrick Wilson, Lena Headey, Dianna Agron, Richard Dreyfuss, Ray Winstone, and Penelope Mitchell. [2] [3] [4] The film had its world premiere on January 27, 2015 at the Sundance Film Festival. [5] The film was released on August 28, 2015, in a limited release in the United States and through video on demand by Alchemy. [6] The film follows a federal prosecutor running for office who cannot stop himself from sleeping with high-class escorts, putting both his career and his personal life at risk.

Contents

Plot

Sam Ellis is a man on the rise—a hot-shot prosecutor on the cusp of a bright future. When an intern at the office becomes infatuated with him, Sam unwisely attempts to quiet his desires by seeing a high-class escort—only to discover that the experience is more fulfilling and exhilarating than he could have imagined. A second appointment with an escort soon follows, and a third, sending his once idyllic life spiraling out of control. In the midst of wrestling with his demons, he suddenly finds himself being groomed to run for the Senate—thrusting him into the public spotlight, and forcing him to take increasingly dangerous measures to keep the press, the law, and his wife off his trail.

Cast

Reception

Zipper has received negative reviews from critics, despite praise for Wilson's performance. The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 20% rating, with a rating average of 4.38/10 based on 30 reviews. The website's critics consensus reads, "Patrick Wilson tries his best to elevate tawdry material, but Zipper is a morality tale that makes its points so clumsily that they inspire more unintentional laughter than thought." [8] It has a score of 39% on Metacritic. [9]

Jordan Hoffman of The Guardian gave the film 2/5 stars, saying, "What's ultimately frustrating about Zipper is that it seems like it has something important to say about infidelity and the sex industry, but can't decide what that should be." [10] David Rooney of The Hollywood Reporter also gave the film a negative review: "There's neither topicality nor bite in this bland pseudo-thriller, which lathers on composer H. Scott Salinas' high-suspense score like shower gel after sweaty sex, yet rarely musters an ounce of genuine tension." [11] Another negative review from Geoff Berkshire of Variety said, "Tawdry but cripplingly self-serious, the second feature from Mora Stephens (a full decade after her little-seen, also politically themed debut Conventioneers ) benefits from Patrick Wilson's committed star turn. Still, the awkward end product would inevitably struggle in theatrical venues, making it more advisable to play to the base and go straight to VOD and premium cable." [12]

Despite having several negative reviews, Fred Topel from CraveOnline gave the film a positive review, with a score of 9.5/10, saying, "Zipper whips out the thrills… This year's Gone Girl… The grown-up thriller of the year." [13]

Release

The film had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 27, 2015. [14] Shortly after it was announced Alchemy had acquired distribution rights to the film. [15] The film was released on August 28, 2015, in a limited release and through video on demand. [16]

Related Research Articles

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

Lena Kathren Headey is an English actress. She gained international recognition and acclaim for her portrayal of Cersei Lannister on the HBO fantasy drama series Game of Thrones (2011–2019), for which she received five Primetime Emmy Award nominations and a Golden Globe Award nomination. She was nominated for a Saturn Award for her portrayal of the Spartan queen in 300 (2006).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sam Levinson</span> American filmmaker and actor (born 1985)

Samuel Levinson is an American filmmaker and actor. He is the son of Academy Award-winning director Barry Levinson. In 2010, he received his first writing credit as a co-writer for the action comedy film Operation: Endgame. The following year, he made his directorial film debut with Another Happy Day (2011), which premiered at Sundance Film Festival. He then received a writing credit on his father's HBO television film The Wizard of Lies (2017). He continued writing and directing for the feature films Assassination Nation (2018) and Malcolm & Marie (2021).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dianna Agron</span> American actress and singer (born 1986)

Dianna Elise Agron is an American actress and singer. After dancing and starring in small musical theater productions in her youth, Agron made her screen debut in 2006, and in 2007, she played recurring character Debbie Marshall on Heroes and had her first leading role. In 2009, she took the role of the antagonistic but sympathetic head cheerleader Quinn Fabray on the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. For her role in the series, she won a SAG Award and, as part of the cast, was nominated for the Brit Award for Best International Breakthrough Act, among other accolades.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Morgan Saylor</span> American actress

Morgan Frances Saylor is an American actress. She is best known for starring as Dana Brody in the Showtime series Homeland, 2019's Blow the Man Down and for her critically acclaimed portrayal of Leah in the 2016 Sundance film White Girl. Along with the rest of the cast of Homeland, Saylor was nominated for the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series in 2013 and 2014.

<i>The Hunters</i> (2011 film) 2011 French film

The Hunters is a 2011 French-Luxembourgian-Belgian crime horror thriller film directed by Chris Briant. The film was produced by Antoine Huet, Thomas Malmonte, Donato Rotunno, and Joseph Rouschop. It stars Dianna Agron, Steven Waddington and Tony Becker. It was released in limited theaters on December 27, 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christopher Abbott</span> American actor (born 1986)

Christopher Jacob Abbott is an American actor. He is known for his work in independent films. In 2011, Abbott made his feature film debut in Martha Marcy May Marlene and his Broadway debut in the revival of the play The House of Blue Leaves. Abbott received a nomination for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Male Lead for the drama film James White (2015).

Mateo Frazier is an American writer, director, producer. He is best known for co-writing and directing the 2013 Lionsgate film Blaze You Out and producing the 2014 Sundance film Drunktown's Finest.

<i>Survivor</i> (film) 2015 American film

Survivor is a 2015 action spy thriller film directed by James McTeigue and written by Philip Shelby. The film stars Milla Jovovich, Pierce Brosnan, Dylan McDermott, Robert Forster, Angela Bassett, Roger Rees, Antonia Thomas, James D'Arcy, Frances de la Tour and Genevieve O'Reilly.

<i>52 Tuesdays</i> 2013 coming of age film

52 Tuesdays is a 2013 Australian coming-of-age drama film directed by Sophie Hyde, with the screenplay written by Matthew Cormack and story by Cormack and Hyde. The film centres on a teenage girl dealing with the gender transition of a parent. The film showed at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival, where it was not only nominated for the Grand Jury Prize, but won the Best Director Award. Over the following year it won numerous other awards and garnered global critical acclaim.

<i>The Crash</i> (2017 film) 2017 American film

The Crash is an American thriller film, written and directed by Aram Rappaport and produced by Aaron Becker, Isaac La Mell, Kristi Gescheidler, Atit Shah, Hilary Shor, and Peter Shuldiner. The film stars Minnie Driver, Frank Grillo, Dianna Agron, AnnaSophia Robb, Maggie Q, Mary McCormack, Ed Westwick, Christopher McDonald, and John Leguizamo.

Homecoming (<i>Glee</i>) 2nd episode of the 6th season of Glee

"Homecoming" is the second episode of the sixth season of the American musical television series Glee, and the 110th overall. The episode was written by series co-creator Ryan Murphy, directed by executive producer Bradley Buecker, and first aired on January 9, 2015 on Fox in the United States along with the previous episode, "Loser Like Me", as a special two-hour premiere.

"Jagged Little Tapestry" is the third episode of the sixth season of the American musical television series Glee, and the 111th overall. The episode was written by series co-creator Brad Falchuk, directed by Paul McCrane, and first aired on January 16, 2015, on Fox in the United States.

<i>Hellions</i> (film) 2015 Canadian film

Hellions is a 2015 Canadian horror film directed by Bruce McDonald, written by Pascal Trottier and starring Chloe Rose. The film was an official selection of the 2015 Sundance Film Festival lineup and also screened at the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival.

<i>The Hallow</i> 2015 film

The Hallow is a 2015 Irish horror film directed by Corin Hardy, written by Hardy and Felipe Marino, and starring Joseph Mawle, Bojana Novakovic, Michael McElhatton, and Michael Smiley. It is a British-Irish co-production filmed in Ireland. It premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival on 25 January 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Natalia Leite</span> Brazilian writer and director

Natalia Leite is a Brazilian writer and director. She is best known for directing the indie hit film M.F.A., a feminist rape-revenge thriller that spurred debates at the start of the #MeToo movement. Subsequently, she went on to direct episodes of The Handmaid's Tale. Her work has been described as having “a bracing, assertive style” (Variety), "emotional intelligence", and as “cementing the reign over highly stylized, sexually progressive dramas” (Slant). Leite is known to incorporate her documentary subjects into her scripted films.

Lena Headey is an English actress and producer. Headey studied acting at Shelley College where she performed in a number of school productions at the Royal National Theatre. She made her film debut in the 1992 mystery drama Waterland. After appearing in a series of supporting parts throughout the 1990s, she went on to find fame for lead performances in big-budget films such as the fantasy film The Brothers Grimm (2005) and the action film 300 (2007), portraying Gorgo, Queen of Sparta, a role she yet again played in 300: Rise of an Empire (2014).

<i>Novitiate</i> (film) 2017 American drama film by Maggie Betts

Novitiate is a 2017 American drama film written and directed by Maggie Betts in her feature directorial debut. Starring Margaret Qualley, Melissa Leo, Morgan Saylor, Dianna Agron, Julianne Nicholson, Liana Liberato, Denis O'Hare, and Maddie Hasson, the film follows a young woman (Qualley) who starts to question her faith as she trains to become a nun.

<i>Berlin, I Love You</i> 2019 anthology romantic drama film

Berlin, I Love You is a 2019 anthology romantic drama film starring an ensemble cast. A joint German and U.S. production, it serves as the fifth installment of the Cities of Love series created by Emmanuel Benbihy, after 2006's Paris, je t'aime, the 2008 film New York, I Love You, and Tbilisi, I Love You and Rio, I Love You both released in 2014.

Aaron Kaufman is an American film producer and director. He is the former producing partner of Robert Rodriguez, having worked with him at the Troublemaker Studios. Kaufman produced films that Rodriguez also directed including Machete (2010) and Machete Kills (2013), as well Sin City: A Dame to Kill For (2014), the sequel to 2005 film Sin City. Kaufman served as executive producer for the dramas The Greatest and Powder Blue, as well the romantic comedy Spread, the crime thriller 13 (2010), and the comedies Chef (2014) and Flock of Dudes (2016).

References

  1. ↑ "Watch Reckless". Amazon Prime Video UK. Retrieved 2020-10-05.
  2. 1 2 3 Zipper at Cargo Entertainment Archived July 14, 2014, at the Wayback Machine
  3. ↑ Twitter / DiannaAgron: A five AM pickup is always a little early....but it's good to be working. #Zipper
  4. ↑ CAPE Congratulates Mora Stephens on ZIPPER
  5. ↑ Berkshire, Geoff (2015-01-28). "Sundance Film Review: 'Zipper'". Variety. Retrieved 2019-08-08.
  6. ↑ "Check Out This Official Poster For ZIPPER Starring @patrickwilson73 – The Trailer Arrives Tomorrow!". Rama's Screen. 2015-07-21. Retrieved 2019-08-08.
  7. ↑ Twitter / DiannaAgron: This girl. Dalia. #Zipper
  8. ↑ "Zipper". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved February 26, 2020.
  9. ↑ "Zipper". Metacritic .
  10. ↑ "Zipper – tale of attorney undone by call girls is no Shame". TheGuardian.com. Jordan Hoffman. 29 January 2015. Retrieved January 29, 2015.
  11. ↑ "'Zipper': Sundance Review". HollywoodReporter.com. David Rooney. 28 January 2015. Retrieved January 28, 2015.
  12. ↑ "'Zipper': Sundance Review". Variety.com. Geoff Berkshire. 28 January 2015. Retrieved January 28, 2015.
  13. ↑ "'Zipper' Whips Out the Thrills". CraveOnline.com. Fred Topel. Retrieved January 28, 2015.
  14. ↑ "Sundance Film Review: 'Zipper'". 28 January 2015.
  15. ↑ "Alchemy Acquires Sundance Political Thriller 'Zipper'". 3 February 2015.
  16. ↑ "Check Out This Official Poster for ZIPPER Starring @patrickwilson73 – the Trailer Arrives Tomorrow!".
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.