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Revenge thrillers aren’t exactly few and far between. They tend to pop up during the slow movie-watching months, typically starring nobodies or has-beens. So Law Abiding Citizen, starring an Oscar winner and a talented tough guy, appeared to be an interesting change. Even more interesting: its mid-October release date—a time of year that often suggests a film’s Oscar intentions. Can Jamie Foxx and Gerard Butler make revenge award worthy? Not really—but Law Abiding Citizen is definitely smarter than your average revenge fantasy.
Ten years ago, Clyde Shelton (Butler) was forced to watch as two men broke into his house and killed his wife and daughter. Desperate for justice, he was devastated when prosecutor Nick Rice (Foxx) made a deal with one of the men in order to convict the other.
Of course, anyone who has a child or a spouse (or any loved ones, for that matter) can understand Clyde’s desperation—and that’s what gives a movie like Law Abiding Citizen a certain dark appeal. It’s a violent action film—but, in a way, the violence seems…justified, doesn’t it? If someone you love were brutally murdered, wouldn’t you want justice? Of course you would. And, for that reason, especially in the beginning of the film, you can’t help but feel for Clyde.
Butler portrays his character perfectly, too—as a weak and helpless victim of both the two cold-blooded killers and the imperfect legal system that let one of them off easy. He looks thin and pasty. He seems aimless and confused. His grief is so real and so gut-wrenching that you’ll feel outraged, too. But then the real story begins.
Now, Clyde is out to bring down the system that failed him. It begins with a lethal injection gone horribly wrong. And it only gets more gruesome—and more violent—from there, as, one by one, those involved begin to die in shocking and horrifying ways. After just the first couple of deaths, you’ll realize that Clyde isn’t just another helpless victim. He’s smart and shrewd—and he’ll stop at absolutely nothing.
Even after Clyde is arrested and locked away, it’s only the beginning of the deadly cat-and-mouse game between the calculating killer and the lawyer who’s trying to stop him.
Law Abiding Citizen isn’t simply a black-and-white, good-versus-evil kind of movie—because, after a while, the line between good and evil becomes blurred. In the beginning, you’ll want Clyde to get his revenge—and you’ll even want that all-business prosecutor to learn his lesson. After a while, though, Clyde starts crossing lines—and it gets harder and harder to root for him. With each horrifying new death, Clyde becomes less likeable. At the same time, though, you won’t really like Nick, either—so, by the end of the movie, there’s really no one left to root for.
On the other hand, though, it’s guaranteed to make you think. It’ll make you think about justice—and about the imperfections of our legal system. And, in a way, it’s fitting that it leaves viewers without a hero. In fact, had it focused more on the intellectual battle between Clyde and Nick and less on the killings, it might have been a brilliant thriller.
Law Abiding Citizen is definitely an intense film—so if you’re simply looking for edge-of-your-seat action, you won’t be disappointed. It’s sure to leave you with a few discussion topics for the ride home from the theater, too. It’s certainly smarter than the average action film, but its shocking and often senseless violence and its unstable story still keep it from earning must-see status.
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