Thumper – Recap/ Review (with Spoilers)

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Thumper gives away the one thing which could have made it interesting within the first 25 minutes and then it just coasts downhill.

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Director(s)	Jordan Ross
Writer(s)	Jordan Ross
Noted Actors
Kat/ Meredith	Eliza Taylor
Wyatt	Pablo Schreiber
Ellen	Lena Headey

Trigger Warning(s): Needles

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Summary

Kat, real name Meredith, is an undercover cop. In the area she has been assigned, 12 died in the last year from drug overdoses and 6 were minors. It was her job to figure out who is the source that is disseminating drugs to minors. Problem is, Meredith seems a bit green and distracted. The cooker, Wyatt, an Iraq war veteran, catches onto her little by little. Probably because Meredith’s son is calling her exes’ new fiancé mommy and it is throwing her off. That and she, a woman in her 20s or 30s, is catching feelings for a teenager.

Leading to one screw up after another that leads to her cover being blown, her beaten the hell out of, and her potentially ruining every kids’ life she interacted with.

Highlights

Criticism

Meredith Being A Terrible Undercover Agent & Her Personal Life

Perhaps the thing which brings the movie down the most is Meredith. Not her actress, she is fine and really leads you to believe Kat is this new girl possibly interested in getting into some trouble. However, once that is no longer the case, and you see Meredith be really obvious about what she is doing, it leads you to wonder why was she chosen for this? Was it because she looked young enough? For really, with the way Meredith is during the case, sometimes you are led to believe that is the only reason Ellen might have chosen her. Especially since Ellen even seems not too fond of the idea of how Meredith is handling things.

But, to make matters worse, Meredith has a son, an ex-husband, and her ex-husband is engaged! Adding an additional layer of drama which barely contributes a thing. Well, it does show what she is missing out on because of this case and establishes how long she has been doing undercover work. However, with how often she nearly, or outright does get caught, it makes her job likely destroying her marriage and her relationship with her son a head-scratcher.

I mean, I get she probably really believes in what she is doing, hence why she chose it over her child and ex. But, the thing is, as a viewer, neither her work life nor personal life hooks you. You don’t really care about her and her ex not being together since they don’t have chemistry. Anything they may have had is dead. Then when it comes to her and her kid, there is this vibe that should hit hard. That should be something emotional and complicated. You know, this idea of being made to feel guilty for being a working mother, but the kid gives us nothing. Taylor is forced to really try to push your sympathies but with the kid not actively participating, it falls flat like damn near everything about the character.

On The Fence

It Had Potential

Let’s bring in what the movie had good going for it: It addresses the current addiction crisis of the United States while also noting how a high school education doesn’t give you the tools for independence. Two good topics. The problem is, it doesn’t build off of them. Within the first 22 minutes, it is clear Kat is a cop since she refuses to partake in anything really, besides alcohol. That is, despite trying to come off as this party girl who is looking for fun.

Okay, so the one big thing which could have made this interesting is taken away. Alright, how about Wyatt? He is a veteran who went in seemingly because there were no real opportunities out of high school. So, with jobs scarce, and two kids, he cooks meth. Not a bad idea right? He is a white guy, the kind who feels abandoned by his country due to immigrants and him just being a nobody. That is a voice that often gets damned but still brings about a certain amount of interest.

Yet, there isn’t that much depth there. Like most older drug dealers who deal with kids as their distribution network, Wyatt is just a douche. One who takes advantage of them not knowing much, being scared, and pretty much comes off as a basic villain. The whole kid thing? He has one scene we see him interact with them. After that, they are with his mom. So like how Meredith’s son is dragged out to push this idea that she is more complicated than she seems, same goes for Wyatt and it ultimately comes off pointless.

Overall: Negative (Skip It)

It sucks when a film starts off good, holds steady, but then takes a major nosedive. Especially when it is a VOD release. For while the platform, thanks to Netflix, is gaining some respect, it hasn’t become widespread yet. In a way, unless it has that Netflix banner, there remains this feeling that VoD is still the new direct to DVD or bargain bin platform.

Which is why this is being labeled negative. Whether you rent it or buy it online, it’s the type of film you don’t think, even at $3.99 on Amazon, is a bang for your buck. It’s the kind of movie which leads you to put red flags on the actors or directors names and make you wonder, in the future, if you really want to watch something with them attached. Not because they are bad actors or director/writer Jordan Ross is horrible, but just because they don’t involve themselves in something worth your precious time.