Released: April 2018
Director: Deon Taylor
Rated R
Run Time: 96 Minutes
Distributor: Lionsgate Studios/Summit Entertainment
Genre: Action/Thriller
Cast:
Paula Patton: Brea
Omar Epps: John
Luke Goss: Red
William Fichtner: Mr. Waynewright
Rosalyn Sanchez: Malia
Laz Alonso: Darren Cole
Missi Pyle: Deputy Sally Marnes
Occasionally, there will be a movie that I really want to see that doesn’t show up in a theater in my general vicinity(which is about a 5-10 mile radius). So, I will have to actively go out of my way to find a particular movie. It’s happened on a number of occasions like with Eli Roth’s The Green Inferno. Sometimes it is worth it, because a particular movie is worth seeking out, even if it doesn’t really get the attention that it may or may not deserve. Today, I went out saw the new thriller Traffik with Paula Patton and Omar Epps. This is the second film I’ve seen in about a month and a half that deals with the topic of human trafficking. It mostly likely won’t be the last. It’s a subject matter that deserves to be mentioned and have the light shown on it, whether it be in movies or in print. There have been a number of films dealing with human trafficking over the past decade. Some of them were good, some not. Which category does Traffik fall into?
The film begins as Brea, a reporter, tries to get her piece on public corruption published only to find out that her boss ended up giving that piece to another reporter. Feeling dejected, Brea and her boyfriend, John, are offered a chance to head up to a lone house in the mountains. On the way, they have a slight altercation with a group of bikers. A mysterious woman sneaks a phone into Brea’s purse before they take off. Their time alone in the house is interrupted by a couple of their friends, and eventually that mysterious woman who gave Brea the phone, which has a lot of images of women being trafficked. Shortly after, they come under attack by the biker gang. For a story that ends up dealing with something as insidious as sex trafficking, it pays for the film to not meander and throw in tons of plot twists. There are a couple of predictable twists here and there, but for the most part the story is simple and straight-forward. Because it is a simple story dealing with such a complex subject, it works really well.
For a film like Traffik to work, you need to have characters that are relatable and sympathetic. The relationship between Brea and John feels authentic and organic, which means that we can care about them when something bad happens. For that to work, casting is key. Thankfully, Paula Patton and Omar Epps are up to the task. They do a really good job feeling like an actual couple that has problems that they are trying to work on. Even the film’s main villain, Red starts off seeming like a decent guy before turning into an absolute scumbag. Luke Goss has always done a good job playing a villain. He has that level of intensity that you need when you’re playing a trafficker. Some of the supporting characters and actors, though, leave a bit to be desired. John’s friend, Darren, comes across as a complete scoundrel from the moment you see him, and you know where that’s going. You can automatically tell that the bikers are up to no good whatsoever, and that’s fine, but when a female cop shows up, you kind of know what she’s all about. Overall, the acting’s pretty good, even some of the villains are a little over-the-top. The chemistry between Patton and Epps is one of the best aspects of the film.
For a film like this, the action is less cartoony and more brutal. While the film isn’t really overly packed with action, what he have here is pretty solid and it is well-shot and framed. Very little, if any, shaky-cam gets in the way. So, we see what’s going on at all times. While it isn’t gory, the violence is hard-hitting, earning the film its R-rating. The film often feels like a bit of a cat-and-mouse thriller and it works very well. There are moments where you are literally on the edge-of-your-seat. Once things start happening, the film doesn’t let up. Unfortunately, it all adds up to something that’s very predictable, in terms of some character arcs and overall plot. The female cop I mentioned? I saw that one coming a mile away, and she wasn’t even subtle about it. Now, to be fair, half the reason why people get away with trafficking in a lot of cases is because of people like her. They do actually exist and have been paid off by these groups that traffic women. Had the character been played by someone else with a lot less….scenery-chewing, and better written, it would have been surprising. Ultimately, though, the film does play it safe and does the whole thriller bit by-the-book. It’s a bit of a nitpick, I’m sure, and it didn’t really ding my enjoyment of the film, it’s just something that I noticed.
Even with all of its faults, Traffik still ends up being a pretty decent thriller in its own right. Is it better than something like Acts of Violence? Yeah, but again, with a subject matter as grim as human trafficking, it’s something that needs to be taken seriously and the film does take it seriously, thankfully. There are definitely better films out there than this, but I think for what you’re getting, Traffik is a pretty good hour and a half, and that’s all the film need to tell its story. Sadly, I don’t think this film is going to get the attention that it deserves, because the closest theater that this film was playing at was almost 30 miles away. If you can find the film in theaters right now, I would honestly go and check it out. I do expect the film to hit VOD and home video in about a month and a half, however. I don’t believe it’s going to make a lot of money. It’s understandable. It’s not a subject matter that can be taken lightly. But still, I definitely recommend it, despite its issues.
My Final Recommendation: Beware of big rig trucks surrounded by bikers. 8/10