I really like Karl Urbain and it nice to see him not in a sidekick role)
Nothing special,but enjoyable little flick to spent some time...
not as bad as some say...
68 Reviews
Not bad at all
aramt-0793516 May 2019
Slow paced revenge-ish movie.
gabriel_sanchez11 June 2018
Bent (2018) is about a former cop that was framed, lost his partner and now is seeking out revenge, while battling his inner demons to just call it quits and stay with his all time love.
It has an OK plot and I like what they did with it, but they make things way too big and never explain them enough. A conspiracy? Is it Goverment related? Is it only about rogue agents fighting over money? In the end, all that doesn't matter.
It's not an action movie. It's about seeing an investigation unfolds and it's kinda bland. There are some curveballs, but they are rather weak.
Overall, just an OK flick.
It has an OK plot and I like what they did with it, but they make things way too big and never explain them enough. A conspiracy? Is it Goverment related? Is it only about rogue agents fighting over money? In the end, all that doesn't matter.
It's not an action movie. It's about seeing an investigation unfolds and it's kinda bland. There are some curveballs, but they are rather weak.
Overall, just an OK flick.
Its ok
pambosk23 July 2018
I quite liked this movie, just above average. I don't know why so many people had reviewed this film and say that it is a rehash, been done so many times before. Er hello, what film has'nt been done many times before. Even classics like the Big Sleep were done before. Superman....he can fly and can save the world..rehash. Detective or detectives find out who the bad guy is. NCSI. CSI...Sherlock Holmes.
Just because the film did not have a shoot out and car chase every five seconds, does not mean it was a bad film. Or was it because people had to concentrate on the dialogue.
As I said its an ok film.
A rehashed idea, done a thousand times and 999 times better!
makka-0095510 March 2018
A weak storyline, poor script, slow pace and ham acting, make for a less than enjoyable ride. A rehashed idea, done a thousand times and 999 times better! Our lead, Karl Urban, makes Matt Damon seem to have limitless emotional depth. He permanently looks like he is suffering from hard stools - maintaining the same expression throughout. The wardrobe department wasn't too taxed, given he wore the same outfit the whole movie, but for a t-shirt change. Continuity need sacking; cops break our hero's tail light and 20 seconds later it is fully functioning and undamaged again! Make-up is a bit odd, a punch in the nose illicits much blood after a thousandth of a second and one character shot in the final scene bleeds out immediately from the head and body, despite being shot only once. One character dies from a non-lethal wound! The storyline is simple enough. Man accused of something he didn't do goes out to prove otherwise and uncover a thinly-veiled conspiracy. I lost interest so many times, due to the slow pacing and poor script. The movie is lacking in drama and you become disengaged from the plot really easily. In short, it's not good.
Its ok to watch from home!
astodghill0117 June 2018
"Hey there, my names Karl Urban"...
thebigrip-110 March 2018
Warning: Spoilers
"Hey there, my names Karl Urban. I'm known for my films where I play Karl Urban and most recently, playing the exciting new role of Karl Urban. This time around, I'm a cop who was framed for murder blah blah blah now out of prison blah blah blah finding out the truth behind blah blah blah bring to justice, etc. It's a real fresh concept on the genre. The script for this movie is genius in that it feels like someone wrote the entire thing in Mandarin and then transposed it to English using Google Translate. Not only that, but Sofia Vergara is in it so we have an excuse for a poorly executed love interest that comes quite literally out of nowhere. She's terrible, but she makes out with a chick so it's worth it. I spend most of the movie hunting down the generic bad guy within 7 days, during which time I conveniently have a "guy" for everything to help assist the plot along, without the need for unnecessary things like exposition. Need a licence plate run? I know someone in the DMV. Need to check my car for bugs? Got a guy in a garage. I'm just like John Wick! I also have two sets of clothes for the entire god damn movie, it's really remarkable. Anyway make sure you catch this film before you completely forget it even exists, which is a real possibility."
I'd rather clean all the bathrooms in Flinders Street station with my tongue than watch this atrocious drivel again.
2/10.
I'd rather clean all the bathrooms in Flinders Street station with my tongue than watch this atrocious drivel again.
2/10.
Let down by support
Tak0056 July 2019
This is not a bad little crime story. However, Karl Urbans abilities are not enough to carry the movie on its own. The supporting casts acting skills are mostly not up to scratch and the movie seems to have been clearly made on a low budget.
Boring, slow, and bad.
Top_Dawg_Critic25 March 2018
The 96 min length felt like 3 hours in this overly dragged out slow paced mess. Was there even an editing department involved with this production? The writing/screenplay and directing by Bobby Moresco was atrocious - a high school drama student could have done better. The score was all over the place. The acting was OK for B-grade actors except for Karl Urban, who's performance was a disaster. His monotonic dialogue and wax expressions made it seem like this was his first acting role. It's also pathetic to see all 8 and above reviews only reviewed this film, thus all fakes. Sad to see the producers needing to trick the viewers in seeing this disaster. It's an honest and generous 3/10 from me.
Two Separate Stories, One Connecting Character
lillinfields9 August 2018
Warning: Spoilers
It wasn't bad and it wasn't fantastic, it fell somewhere in the middle. I'll watch Karl Urban in pretty much anything so I went in with the mindset of a fan. I didn't like how they had two separate stories going on it kinda made the film have a disconnecting feel. However I did like both storylines. I would have liked them as two separate movies...that actually would have been a great idea. I liked Urban's acting hence the 6/10 stars. But for the movie itself I'd say 5.5 or at most a 6 would be acceptable too. I liked Urban's grit. I didn't guess the ending so that was something else that made the movie decent. I'd recommend it if you're a Karl Urban or Andy Garcolia fan otherwise it's just another B rated cop movie with some plot disconnect.
Just a Ball of Confusioin
jb_campo21 July 2018
Bent starts out with promise but quickly goes downhill and never rebounds. Urban as Detective Gallagher has that cop look and voice, but he's about the best actor in this mess. The best scene is 2 minutes in when his girlfriend, a singer, rips into Ball of Confusion, but then, yep, you get confused.
Then there's a gun scene on a boat with unexpected consequences, and nothing gets explained. Urban meets Andy Garcia, and we have no idea who he is. Sofia Vergara shows up, no clear idea who she is. There is absolutely no character development, so no clue who these people are. Gallagher seems to be on his own, disavowed by the police. He drives here and there and everywhere, but no clue what he's doing. That pretty much explains the movie.
What's worse is that the acting was inexplicably bad. Andy Garcia had this crying scene about Gallagher, with his wife, and you have NO clue why she's upset and why he's crying. There's another scene with another cop who investigates an attack on Gallagher, and this guy was just a terrible actor, like he was reading off the cards. Sofia Vergara walked her way thru lines and her character did some stupid things.
Then suddenly you get to the end and Gallagher has everything figured out, but no clue about how he got there. It was a very confusing movie with really bad acting and poor character development. The scenery and setups were ok, but really a sub-par detective story. There are so many better detective cop stories than this. Really, don't waste your time. Dr McCoy should have just stayed on the Enterprise instead of beaming into this terrible movie.
Then there's a gun scene on a boat with unexpected consequences, and nothing gets explained. Urban meets Andy Garcia, and we have no idea who he is. Sofia Vergara shows up, no clear idea who she is. There is absolutely no character development, so no clue who these people are. Gallagher seems to be on his own, disavowed by the police. He drives here and there and everywhere, but no clue what he's doing. That pretty much explains the movie.
What's worse is that the acting was inexplicably bad. Andy Garcia had this crying scene about Gallagher, with his wife, and you have NO clue why she's upset and why he's crying. There's another scene with another cop who investigates an attack on Gallagher, and this guy was just a terrible actor, like he was reading off the cards. Sofia Vergara walked her way thru lines and her character did some stupid things.
Then suddenly you get to the end and Gallagher has everything figured out, but no clue about how he got there. It was a very confusing movie with really bad acting and poor character development. The scenery and setups were ok, but really a sub-par detective story. There are so many better detective cop stories than this. Really, don't waste your time. Dr McCoy should have just stayed on the Enterprise instead of beaming into this terrible movie.
A serviceable low-budget noir police story
ginocox-206-33696812 March 2018
"Bent" is a fairly typical low-budget direct-to-video noir police story with a few satisfying plot twists, adequate production values and a good performance by Andy Garcia in a supporting role. It is not cathartic or cerebral and doesn't offer anything memorable in terms of gunfights, pyrotechnics, stunt work, stage combat or car chases. Even Sofia Vergara's first onscreen shower scene is unfortunately not particularly memorable. The script is weak and needed a couple of rewrites before it would have been ready for production. The opening scene is not sufficiently well crafted to justify or explain the consequences.
I watched this film shortly after viewing "Downsizing," which I knew had received discouraging reviews. I wasn't even particularly intrigued by the story, but it had a great cast and a big budget, so I decided to give it a try. I wound up watching it in about six segments over three days. "Bent" was produced with perhaps a tenth of the budget and without some of the top-level talent, but it held sufficient interest for me to watch it in one sitting, although I admit to engaging in a little multitasking during a few of the slower parts. It is not a great film, but suffices as a pleasant diversion.
Sofia Vergara delivers a credible performance as the femme fatale. Karl Urban does as well as can be expected with the material he's given, as a brooding detective out to clear his name. Andy Garcia delivers a nuanced, multidimensional performance. The major problem is the script, which is underwritten and relies too heavily on exposition.
I'm giving the movie eight stars, which is generous to a fault, but intended to offset a few reviews that seem unfairly harsh.
I watched this film shortly after viewing "Downsizing," which I knew had received discouraging reviews. I wasn't even particularly intrigued by the story, but it had a great cast and a big budget, so I decided to give it a try. I wound up watching it in about six segments over three days. "Bent" was produced with perhaps a tenth of the budget and without some of the top-level talent, but it held sufficient interest for me to watch it in one sitting, although I admit to engaging in a little multitasking during a few of the slower parts. It is not a great film, but suffices as a pleasant diversion.
Sofia Vergara delivers a credible performance as the femme fatale. Karl Urban does as well as can be expected with the material he's given, as a brooding detective out to clear his name. Andy Garcia delivers a nuanced, multidimensional performance. The major problem is the script, which is underwritten and relies too heavily on exposition.
I'm giving the movie eight stars, which is generous to a fault, but intended to offset a few reviews that seem unfairly harsh.
And where are we again?
thedaddymoose21 March 2018
So, where, for the love of all that is holy, is this movie supposed to be taking place? Apparently it is supposed to be somewhere in the U.S., because otherwise what the hell are all these Americans doing in the movie. Originally Karl Urban's Jeep appears to have Louisiana Plates on it, but in every scene with multiple back ground cars, there are lots of cars that aren't even sold in the U.S.
I also need to point out that NO police force in the U.S. has ever used BMW E36 sedans as cop cars, or Land Rover Discoverys, at least that I can find. And those police badges on the sleeves of their uniforms could not be more generic. Maybe this movie suffered from High Definition clarity.
Also, the establishing shots for the locations are bizarre and simply wrong, and the cops all sound like they're from New York.
It's just so confusing. As if the producer and director had never set foot in the U.S. and was just guessing at what it would look like.
I've seen worse movies, but this one had the potential to be much better, regardless of the rehashed plot. At least I don't feel the need to find these people and ask them for my time back.
I also need to point out that NO police force in the U.S. has ever used BMW E36 sedans as cop cars, or Land Rover Discoverys, at least that I can find. And those police badges on the sleeves of their uniforms could not be more generic. Maybe this movie suffered from High Definition clarity.
Also, the establishing shots for the locations are bizarre and simply wrong, and the cops all sound like they're from New York.
It's just so confusing. As if the producer and director had never set foot in the U.S. and was just guessing at what it would look like.
I've seen worse movies, but this one had the potential to be much better, regardless of the rehashed plot. At least I don't feel the need to find these people and ask them for my time back.
Simply bad.
filiptp21 March 2018
You thought Sofia Vergara is a bad actress? You should see Karl Urban's performance. It's a primary school's acting level, but less entertaining. Also, the story is a text book cliche, thriller with no thrill at all. I really want to know who invest money in projects like this. And why?
Can a plot be any more unoriginal?
elizrug10 March 2018
"On his latest private investigation, a shamed former cop connects a murder case to a government conspiracy involving rogue agents from a top spy agency."
Does anything about this description make anyone want to see this movie? How many times has this been done before? How many different nuances does the government conspiracy movie genre need? Or how about the spy movie genre? There is literally so much going on in this world that would make for an entertaining tale, that no one even has to come up with anything on their own. They could embellish any existing story in our world's history and have a good storyline, but no, they went ahead with another trite, been-there, done-that, man in a black leather jacket fighting corruption, straight to DVD, too boring to watch while stoned, too stupid to watch while sober, movie.
Does anything about this description make anyone want to see this movie? How many times has this been done before? How many different nuances does the government conspiracy movie genre need? Or how about the spy movie genre? There is literally so much going on in this world that would make for an entertaining tale, that no one even has to come up with anything on their own. They could embellish any existing story in our world's history and have a good storyline, but no, they went ahead with another trite, been-there, done-that, man in a black leather jacket fighting corruption, straight to DVD, too boring to watch while stoned, too stupid to watch while sober, movie.
It's ok
heydiddlediddle00726 November 2018
a conspiracy thriller, not bad, but not enough good
Cinema2kMendoza18 June 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Is a movie you can watch and understand the main conspiracy theme, but the pace is really slow for a thriller, and the actors are good, but needed a better location, and more establishing shots and dramatic music. Like, you get everybody here have troubles and the police is implied...but theres better movies about this.all the actors are good, they just need a better director and better music. Because the movie have a good plot, but needed to be more focused on the thriller side, still, is not that bad that i cant watch it again. Also the weird thing is to see a cop movie with a jeep as the main car.
Serviceable thriller
Leofwine_draca17 January 2020
Warning: Spoilers
BEYOND SUSPICION is another retro-feeling thriller in which a cop, hated by pretty much everyone thanks to events from his past, finds himself on the trail of a minor conspiracy with a view to clearing his name. It's simplistic stuff but far better than rival fare, such as an awful John Travolta flick I had the misfortune of seeing recently called EYE FOR AN EYE. Karl Urban is a good choice of lead and Sofia Vergara certainly enhances things in her femme fatale performance. There's not a huge deal of action although that which is included is well handled, and the twists just keep on coming.
Pretty decent but slow.
natashialw6 August 2021
Dissapointing
Prophet6363 November 2018
It's apparent within the first 5 minutes that this is very low budget. The writing and directing are just horrible. It's as if this movie was made in 1987. Everything just seems off. There is one point where Andy Garcia starts crying for no apparent reason and that's the only unpredictable part of the movie.
Shades of the old police dramas of the 80s
adrianrose-2991721 May 2022
When a drug bust goes sour, a good cop takes the fall and ends up behind bars. Upon his release, he commits himself to finding out if he was betrayed by his partner or someone else. Along the way, he discovers that the case that he had been investigating has ties far beyond the drug trade.
Starring Karl Urban (Dr. McCoy in the new Star Trek films), this is a thriller with shades of the old police dramas that used to be all the rage in the 80s. Full of action, suspense, and a few good twists and turns along the way, it will definitely keep you guessing.
Starring Karl Urban (Dr. McCoy in the new Star Trek films), this is a thriller with shades of the old police dramas that used to be all the rage in the 80s. Full of action, suspense, and a few good twists and turns along the way, it will definitely keep you guessing.
Everything but the BONES
d.rust18 July 2018
Two big reasons for seeing this movie: Sofia Vergara.
She's a beautiful gummint agent, but who cares? Just look into her eyes and fall into the abyss.
Oh, and there's Karl Urban. He still has to keep his face covered to hide his complicit role in a certain space opera. But you know something? I have greatly enjoyed each and every role he's ever done.
The film showed up on late-night and I managed to catch the pre-title scene from where they approach the boat, and I had no idea who was in it. I see that the cast includes Al Pacino--- oops, rather Andy Garcia. Yeah, he was channelling Michael from GF3. "THEY KEEP DRAWING ME BACK IN!"
Every time that this genre shows up on my screen, I think "they're making all these cop flicks, how come I never hear anything about them." But, I enjoyed most of whatever humour there was, and it's got a good beat and it's easy to dance to.
She's a beautiful gummint agent, but who cares? Just look into her eyes and fall into the abyss.
Oh, and there's Karl Urban. He still has to keep his face covered to hide his complicit role in a certain space opera. But you know something? I have greatly enjoyed each and every role he's ever done.
The film showed up on late-night and I managed to catch the pre-title scene from where they approach the boat, and I had no idea who was in it. I see that the cast includes Al Pacino--- oops, rather Andy Garcia. Yeah, he was channelling Michael from GF3. "THEY KEEP DRAWING ME BACK IN!"
Every time that this genre shows up on my screen, I think "they're making all these cop flicks, how come I never hear anything about them." But, I enjoyed most of whatever humour there was, and it's got a good beat and it's easy to dance to.
Solid Flick well deserved a 7/10
whmacy2 July 2018
Poor Plot
lynansaysingle5 September 2018
This movie tried so hard to be good and failed. The storyline is weak. Acting is second-rate. I like Sofia Vergara in Modern Family and she is ok in other movies Ive seen but this role is very bad for her. Trying to get her to get rid of her accent in this role didnt work for her, it took away any talent she had in acting. As for Karl Urban and Andy Garcia, it would look like they havent had better movie offers around. Forgettable.
Unoriginal
andyharm29 September 2018
Come on - this plot has been done before- the summary at the top says it all - yet this film flops hard on its face with delivery. Sorry Karl, better luck next time! In saying that, the cinematography and soundtrack were ok...
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