Destroyer

Karyn Kusama’s tough crime flick was hailed as an awards –front runner by dint of Nicole Kidman’s dramatic change of appearance for the title role of Erin Bell, an LA cop who goes deep undercover in an attempt to bust a bank-robbing gang. Awards-voters aren’t known for their appreciation of noir, and Destroyer fell by the wayside in terms of attention and box-office. Kidman, seen enjoying good health in the flashback scenes, looks haggard and exhausted in the modern-day storyline of Destroyer as she shakes-down various low-lives to get to the source of some dyed-bank notes which connect her to a disastrous heist. Toby Kebbell makes an impression as the gang’s leader Silas, and the big action scene has a real punch. The script isn’t always convincing, and the plot-holes work do against Destroyer, but as a terse thriller in the vein of Michael Mann, Destroyer has a lot to offer the discerning noir fan.