Paradox Effect (2023)

There are movies you watch because you expect brilliance and then there are movies you watch because your curiosity urges you to just press play. This movie falls firmly into the second category, and honestly? I wasn’t even mad, just mildly stressed, slightly entertained and occasionally confused.

From the start, the film throws you into this high-adrenaline chase where Olga Kurylenko (playing Kiara) is a desperate woman whose daughter has been kidnapped, and she has hours to gather a huge sum of money. Then you have Harvey Keitel as this shady, powerful nightclub owner who looks like he knows ten ways to ruin your life. The vibe is gritty, neon-lit, and slightly sweaty, that late-night panic kind of aesthetic.

Kiara isn’t your typical action heroine either. She’s frantic, emotional, and dangerously determined. She’s got no calm superhuman energy, just full-on mother on the edge mode. And that made her relatable. I love a woman who looks like she hasn’t slept in three days but still manages to outwit criminals because I know motherhood is basically a survival skill set.

There are things that worked for me and things that didn’t. One is, the action sequences are messy in a human way, not polished Marvel choreography, but scrappy, survival-driven fights. The pacing almost gave me whiplash but in a way that kept me awake. But, for a thriller, I wasn’t as thrilled as I expected.

Kiara and the terrible stranger she teams up with are the most unlikely duo ever but them later working together was kinda fun. Also, the desperation feels real on the adult's end. The kids were basically watering everything down by going full on recital mode and I’m directly pointing at Lucy, Kiara’s daughter.

In all honesty, this film is a paradox in itself. It’s fast-paced but thin, emotional but sometimes undercooked, stylish but occasionally low-budget around the edges. Some scenes are like they were written by someone who started with a great idea and then sprinted toward the end without breathing. But it’s oddly entertaining according to my younger brother.

My biggest critique is that the story tries to juggle too many twists and not all of them land. The intensity sometimes turns into noise, and a few emotional beats deserve more time to breathe. But Olga Kurylenko does try to carry the film with sheer force and I respect that. Theme-wise, it’s very much about desperation, motherhood, survival and the kind of choices you make when your world is crumbling.

Did I enjoy it?

Well in a messy, unpolished, say ‘this could’ve been better but I had a good time anyway’ way, absolutely.
Rating: 6/10

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