Reviewed by Allie Schembra
A small town bank robbery leads to a brutal showdown between a sheriff and a mysterious stranger in this high stakes game of shifting identities and hidden motives. When the obvious suspect is apprehended not far from the crime scene, the police think that the case is solved, but they couldn’t be more wrong. The real crime hasn’t even happened yet. Before it’s over, two desperate men will be pushed over the line where innocent lives – and a lot of money – hang in the balance.
A black man is arrested in a small southern town and accused of robbing the local bank. During a videotaped interrogation, the man is insistent upon his innocence, but the local sheriff doesn’t believe him. The man’s story is too unbelievable to be real… he was found shortly after the robbery walking down a road toward town, covered in dirt, no car in sight. Who wouldn’t think he was involved in the crime?
As the interrogation goes on, the Sheriff learns this man is not who he says he is and he is in town for reasons other than to rob the bank. He has a partner who is missing and who can provide verification of their identities, motives and ultimate plan. When the sheriff finally begins to believe him, they go off in search of the man’s partner and find all the answers they are looking for.
The Suspect is a really difficult film to recap. There’s so much to say about it, but everything I would say would spoil it. And it’s too good of a twist to spoil. I’m not saying it wasn’t entirely unpredictable, but there were a few times I was surprised at the reveal. I quite enjoyed watching it, and while not full of action, it was a good story and I found myself left wanting more.
Mekhi Phifer did a great job as the suspect. I always enjoy his work and am never let down. Sterling K. Brown is one of those actors who I always recognize, but can never place. I like his work as well and am always impressed with his characters and his acting.
Video (3 1/2 out of 5 stars)
The 1080p high definition wide screen 2.35:1 presentation of The Suspect was good. The picture was clear and skin tones were natural. Many scenes take place in a dark interrogation room/jail cell and even though it was dark, the picture was still clear and I had no problems seeing anything. Daylight was natural and the scenes taking place outside and in nature were spark and the colors blended well together.
Audio (3 1/2 out of 5 stars)
The Suspect is a dialogue-driven film. It’s a story being told by a character and shown in flashbacks. The sound was good and sharp and the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 sound was well-done. I had no problem hearing any of the dialogue and even when the sound was meant to be a bit louder, it didn’t impede what was being said.
Extras (3 out of 5 stars)
I enjoyed the special features provided in The Suspect. I particularly enjoyed seeing how the final scenes were put together.
- Commentary Track with Director Stuart Connelly – The movie with director’s commentary.
- Commentary Track with Producer Mary Jo Barthmaier – The movie with producer commentary.
- Conversations with Writer/Director Stuart Connelly – An almost 30-minute behind-the-scenes interview with the writer/director.
- Happy Endings Music Video – The Real Tuesday Weld – The music video for the song Happy Endings. This is a pretty good song. I’m not sure why a music video was made. Does any channel play them anymore? P.S. – I will spare you my related rant about MTV and VH1.
- Extended Scenes – 10 or so extended scenes grouped together. There was no option to select them one at a time. I think the choice made to edit them down was good. I didn’t feel like I gained a whole lot more from these extended scenes.
- Making a Scene – The behind-the-scenes look at the making of the final scenes of the movie. It shows the use of the green screen, story boards and equipment used to make the final scenes.
- Trailer – The official trailer for The Suspect.
Summary (3 1/2 out of 5 stars)
The Suspect is a surprising film. I really enjoyed watching the story unfold and while I knew something about the story being told wasn’t right, I wasn’t able to figure everything out. The opening scene makes a lot more sense by the end and the message the film had was heart-warming. I know you’re thinking that I’m crazy, but trust me, by the end of the film; you will be going “aaaawww” just like I did. The Blu-ray offers pretty good video and audio quality and I enjoyed the extras too so overall I was happy with both the movie and the presentation.
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