'Beckett' Review: John David Washington Drives This Taut, Engaging Thriller

Beckett starts slow but in no time picks up its pace to become a riveting and pulse-pounding thriller, with lead star John David Washington giving a sublime performance.

Helmed by Ferdinando Cito Filomarino for streaming giant Netflix, Beckett revolves around an American (played by Washington) who goes on vacation to Greece with his girlfriend (Alicia Vikander). Their fun holiday is cut short by tragedy when they are involved in a car accident that claims her life.

Injured and grief-stricken, Beckett is rescued by the authorities and questioned about the incident. He goes back to the scene of the accident and this proves to be a costly mistake because the cops arrive and start trying to kill him.

Confused and feeling out of place in a strange land, the protagonist goes on the run, determined to make it to the American Embassy. His quest proves to be a herculean task as the cops seem to know his every move and wait for him in every corner.

As events unfold, it becomes clear that just after the accident, Beckett saw what he was not supposed to and those who don't want the secret out will do whatever it takes to end his life.

John David Washington and Alicia Vikander in BECKETT

The hero manages to make it to the embassy and is taken to someone he is told can be of help to clear his name. But after a major betrayal, Beckett finally understands that he is on his own, and in a city in which he may be the only Black man, it's easy to stand out wherever he goes.

Everything builds up to a climax involving a protest at the heart of the city which links what Beckett saw with those trying to kill him. Battered, bruised, and exhausted, he makes it a point of duty to get to the root of the matter and perhaps save the life of a kidnapped boy in order to put an end to the whole saga.

The plot is gripping, the camera work is excellent, and the lead actor is phenomenally convincing as a conflicted and abandoned hero. His pain and the range of emotions that well up within him easily evoke empathy from the viewer. In this, his story is easily relatable.

The screenplay is penned in such a way that with each passing moment comes the uncertainty of what lies ahead for the main character. The next second could be his last and the tension will keep you at the edge of your seat.

Beckett is a taut thriller with fast-rising star John David Washington giving you countless reasons to stayed glued to the screen. Like his famous father, the veteran Hollywood actor Denzel Washington, he is carving a name for himself in Hollywood, proving that acting is in his very genes.

I commend the director, the cinematographer for a splendid work on the finished product. But above all, kudos to Washington for making this film worth every second.

Rating: 7/10.