MOVIE DETAILS
Rating: 6.3 Out of 10
Release Date: August 25, 2020
Director: Ryan Ellis
Writer: Roy French
Cast: Robert Nolan, Sandra DaCosta, Ry Barrett
Genres: Thriller
oveRVIEW – Twisted Pieces
This film is an incoherent mess, yet somehow still manages to have charm and heart. Anthony Mackie and Stephanie Beatriz shine as two smartass buddies who interact well.
But this film offers too much of everything else: globetrotting, gunplay, intense fight sequences and stilted banter that don’t seem natural; as well as an end that seems designed to break audiences’ tolerance for twists.
Synopsis
As a celebration of exploitation and schlock, this movie received mixed reactions from audiences; while some loved it while most disliked it. Yet for Grindhouse film enthusiasts it remains essential viewing.
The film begins with a young boy working intently on assembling a puzzle in his room, when his mother walks in and notices that it depicts an image that depicts a naked woman from front and centre. Her reaction quickly escalates when she discovers it depicting such content – something her son doesn’t seem aware of yet.
This film offers many unpredictable moments that will keep audiences guessing throughout. Packed with shocking and bloody scenes that will keep audiences on their toes, its acting is excellent and its storyline engaging; unfortunately it may be too violent for younger viewers.
Ashley Judd and John Cusack shine in this movie! Both actors display incredible chemistry between themselves and have well-written characters – the gore was incredible, while its surprising conclusion left audiences delighted!
This movie’s storyline is so captivating that it is hard to believe it was made back in 1996. The acting, music and gore all shine brightly; with an unexpected plot twist that leaves viewers guessing at just what may have been happening behind-the-scenes.
This movie follows a man who has been falsely accused of murder, and must start over with his daughter after having to find new lives for both of them. Determined to seek revenge against those responsible, he turns to Keyser Soze for help in his quest for justice and prove his innocence – though without knowing it his daughter is also in danger! This hilarious and exciting thriller offers plenty of laughs with its stellar plot, excellent acting performances from its fantastic cast and an unexpected and shocking ending – this must-see film should definitely be on every horror fan’s list – I highly recommend it!
Cast
Twisted Pieces lacks the fun humor found in Deadpool movies and fails to create a compelling plotline from its thin plotline.
Ashley Judd portrays Jessica Shephard, a detective assigned to investigate a murder allegedly linked to serial killer John Doe. John Doe kills victims according to each of the seven deadly sins; such as stabbing someone with broken glass (wrath), forcing a 400-pound man to overeat until death (gluttony), raping prostitutes for entertainment (lust), etc.
Shephard and Detective Mills track the killer’s movements before discovering video tape showing evidence of crimes committed by him or her. After confronting one CEO about this suspicion, however, he denies having any connection with this assailant.
This movie boasts some familiar actors. Mackie plays Quiet while Beatriz appears as an attractive milkman. Although both characters have minimal dialogue, Mackie’s overly-jovial jokes and mean put-downs feel lifted directly from another film while Beatriz’s inability to carry any scene stands as proof that she lacks the acting chops required for major Hollywood film roles.
This movie marks another disappointing video-game adaptation. While not quite as bad as Super Mario Bros. Movie or The Last of Us, its plot remains thin, characters unlikable and violence outshone any sense of purpose in this adaptation of a beloved videogame series.
However, there’s a simple solution available for watching Twisted Pieces while traveling abroad: use a VPN service like ExpressVPN to bypass geo-restrictions and stream the movie from streaming services in Canada and Australia.
Director
TWISTED PIECES is ultimately a disappointing film. Director Albert Pyun fails to inject any sense of urgency or momentum into the story, while Lowell and Rocket both fall flat as Maxine and John respectively; such talent was wasted here.
This film does not lack thrills, however. Fans of horror will certainly find themselves satisfied by its gore and sexual content; additionally, there are some unexpectedly amusing “what-the-hell?” moments in there too! With more concentration from its director however, this could have become an truly entertaining thriller!
Twisted Pieces is Breen’s most audacious project yet and unfortunately he seems to have lost touch with his audience. Watching this film makes one question why anyone bothered getting a studio on board at all.
Although the script features some amusing twists, it’s not enough to justify its endless parade of bloody murder scenes and absurd plot developments. Additionally, performances by Judd are dismal – she seems completely out of place here and attempts at extracting any sort of emotional response seem forced and artificial.
Philip Kaufman has produced some good movies in the past, but here his talent seems largely wasted on this disappointing thriller. It is difficult to believe he is responsible for I Am Here… Now and Fateful Findings; his flair for sexual detail has faded completely and often the film slips into farcical territory.
It’s a real shame to see such an impressive cast waste their talent on this lackluster thriller. Although its premise is interesting and its actors certainly capable of turning this around, they are held back by an unintelligible screenplay and unsatisfying direction – the sole redeeming feature being Ashley Judd and James Marsden’s steamy scene which only briefly makes up for it all.
Recommendation
No movie can succeed without strong acting, and this one fails spectacularly in this regard. Instead of offering anything fresh or original to its audience, this cliche-ridden thriller relies on familiar plot devices to draw them in quickly, only for them to quickly be revealed as empty shells of plot without depth or substance despite having some high-profile actors present – there’s little else worth noting about this film despite some impressive casting choices.
Motivations among characters remain unclear, with double-crosses that become tedious rather than thrilling. Samuel L. Jackson shines brightest as an impressive performer despite this movie wasting so much of his talent.
Philip Kaufman may have written his worst script since becoming a major filmmaker nearly 25 years ago with this film, an attempt at psychosexual thriller that doesn’t deliver on any level and features one of the most irritating characters ever conceived by Hollywood. Still, its cast does their best with what they were given and strives for success regardless.
Twisted Pieces may surprise audiences as an oddball film that makes people cringe, yet its absurd plot and terrible acting make for entertaining viewing. Still, dedicated fans of bad films should definitely give this one a look!
While there are some slightly shocking scenes, most of this film is depressing and dull. Although its story of a murder investigation into a puzzle-piece killer is intriguing, its execution fails badly resulting in a messy, confusing production and predictable conclusions.
John and Quiet feature an entertaining enemies-to-lovers arc, but it’s difficult to believe their romance in an environment full of crude humor and cartoonish bloodshed. Mackie, a familiar face from Marvel Cinematic Universe films, does his best with goofy banter but still struggles to be liked as Quiet; other actors in the cast mostly seem like bland supporting players – it’s a shame to see such famous names wasted on such an uninspired film.
For more movies like Twisted Pieces, visit Fmovies
