“The Rhythm Section” is about a girl named Stephanie who loses her entire family in a fatal plane crash that was originally thought to be an accident. The pain of her loss triggers her descent into drugs and prostitution. After delving into the facts of what may have occurred leading up to the plane crash, Stephanie devotes all of her time and energy in the attempt to find the people responsible for her family’s death. A good idea in concept, the final product that is put on screen is boring and hard to follow. “The Rhythm Section” could have been something great, but is overshadowed by confusion and a sense of overall dullness.
The one thing that this film does well is the cinematography; I think this is a well-produced film. But, unfortunately that is the only positive thing to be said. The film captures the beauty of London, the highlands of Scotland, Madrid, and Morocco. The filming of “The Rhythm Section” is good, but unfortunately for the film, that is the only praise that can be noted.
The film, which is shot in various locations, including Dublin, Ireland, Almeria, Cadiz, and Madrid takes place in London, Scotland, Madrid, and Morocco. I feel that there could have been a little more time spent in each location. Throughout the film, the filmmakers cut back and switch locations multiple times. It would have been be easier to follow if they just had the characters remain in each location for a longer period of time. For example, in the beginning of the film, the audience sees Stephanie at various locations in London: a brothel where she works as a prostitute, flashbacks to her family enjoying life, and the home of a journalist she met. But not soon after, the film switches locations and never returns to London. Why introduce an interesting setting to the film when it is never used again?
The story follows Stephanie Patrick, played by Blake Lively, as she travels around the world to seek revenge against those who killed her family. The film goes on a confusing journey spotlighting Stephanie’s current life as a prostitute and drug addict, then as she meets a journalist who believes that her families plane crash was not an accident. The film then cuts to a remote house in Scotland where Stephanie trains with a former MI6 agent to gain the necessary skills to be able to enact revenge against those who had hurt her family and thus her. After her training with Iain Boyd, played by Jude Law, Stephanie goes to various locations to execute her plan for revenge.
Blake Lively and Jude Law in “The Rhythm Section” (Paramount Pictures, 2020).
She meets a former CIA agent-turned-information-broker named Marc Serra, played by Sterling Brown. Throughout her journey of retribution, Stephanie uses Marc to aid her in her campaign. One thing that was very confusing was that there was a scene of the two randomly engaging in sex. The reason this was confusing is because it was so random. One moment Stephanie is going through with her plan, then the next, she is having sex with Marc—it is all out of the blue, and it seems the only reason this is inserted is to have a scene that is considered “spicy.”
The dialogue and acting in the film is just average. One thing that must be criticized in this film is the audio. Throughout the whole film, it is almost impossible to hear what these characters were saying. Blake Lively, an American actress, plays a British woman in the film, and her portrayal is accurate for the most part—except for her accent. The rest of the actors did a fine job; however, none were special.
There is a small sense of character development in this film, but it is very difficult to discern. During her journey, Stephanie trains with a former MI6 agent to harness the necessary skills to enact her revenge. I had to read a synopsis after the film just to understand what was just watched. This is never a good thing.
The soundtrack, written by Elvis Crespo, is fine, but no song is noteworthy. The film has some interesting song choices including selections from The Velvet Underground, The Mamas and the Papas, and Elvis. The soundtrack is one of the better things about this film, which does not reflect well on the film. The editing in “The Rhythm Section” is passable (fine). Again, nothing is noticeable, which seems to be a common theme throughout this film.
“The Rhythm Section” is not special in any way. The only positive thing that can be said about this film is its cinematography, which is really nothing special, and possibly the soundtrack which is passable. Everything else is regrettably subpar.
*”The Rhythm Section” is scheduled for a January 31, 2021 theatrical release, with streaming rentals/options available in accordance.
