2012, Movies

The Factory (2012, Morgan O’Neill)

This is one of those “inspired by true events” movies where you know the screenwriters found out about a case with the “factory” of the title and then wrote their ‘idiot plot’ (to steal a phrase from Ebert) all around it. So we have the typical tired, spent cop pursuing a case that nobody else wants – A Case That Nobody Else Believes In – and stupid shit starts happening.

SPOILERS

First, his daughter is abducted by the serial killer he was pursuing, but who nobody else believed existed. As my colleague said, how many times has a serial killer investigation actually impacted the victims family??? Never? Once? But if you watch the movies, it happens every time.

But that’s not the kicker. If the movie proceeded on like this I would have given it a 4 for a silly, paint-by-numbers plot and the odd leap of logic. But no. That wasn’t good enough.

Instead we get one of those Mother of All Twists where the person we trusted second most in the movie really is in league with the serial killer, and slips of her tongue were supposed to indicate that we should have been on to her all along. Apparently, a cop wanting to be on a case is indicative of actually being partially responsible for the crime that is the focus of the case. Of course that’s how it works. Every cop who wants to be on a case is really a criminal.

I love how in movies characters are allowed to turn on and off their Crazy, as if there was a switch.

Anyway this is one of those movies which insults the audience by saying “Look, you should known it was her. Here are the flashbacks to prove it.” As if the audience should just be sitting there not trusting anybody on screen because of the things they say. Hell, I’m sure I could go through the movie and re-edit it – and re-shoot the ending – and make it so that the dad did it!

3/10

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