"A Walk Among the Tombstones" Review

Title: A Walk Among the Tombstones

Directed by: Scott Frank

Screenplay by: Scott Frank

Year: 2014


When I first saw the promotional material for this movie, I was vaguely intrigued by the premise, but nothing really gripped me about it. The fact that Liam Neeson was starring in it only made me think it would be another film similar to Taken. My curiosity came over me though and I went to see the film. And how did it compare to my expectations?

Matt Scudder (Neeson) is a retired cop turned private investigator (without a license) who has been hired by a drug "trafficker" to find the people who kidnapped and murdered his wife. As Scudder goes deeper into the investigation, he finds that this goes beyond a simple kidnapping and murder.

I'm just going to come out right now and say it, this film surprised me. I was caught completely off guard. I honestly thought this would just be a rehash of Taken but it is not that at all. Whereas Taken and other recent Liam Neeson films could be classified as action movies, A Walk Among the Tombstones is an investigation-thriller, and a damn good one at that.

Liam Neeson is perfect casting as Scudder, and this is the best Neeson has been in a while. In his most recent films, Neeson has played what is essentially the same character repeatedly, and as such Scudder comes as a refreshing change. Scudder has his own inner demons to fight and Neeson captures the emotions behind it fantastically. And the rest of the cast is great in their roles. Brian "Astro" Bradley is amazing as TJ. This movie could have been so much worse if they got a bad young actor, but they found the right one in Bradley. And, my god. David Harbour and Adam David Thompson? Brilliant! They strike the perfect balance between creepy, dangerous, calculating, and insane. The cast is strong all around, without a single weak link.

The story is terrific as well. The mystery is great and it unfolds at a perfectly slow pace. I will say that this film is slow, but it works in favor of the plot. There isn't too much action, since the primary focus is the investigation, but there is plenty of suspense and a hell of a lot of tension. I really have to give A Walk Among the Tombstones credit in how it addresses the audience. The difficulty with mystery/investigation films is presenting clues or information to the audience because it usually goes one of two ways. It can either be so blatantly obvious that the audience makes the connection far too early and is forced to wait for the revelation within the film, or it can be so cryptic that only the characters in the film understand it until an explanation is spoon fed to the audience. A Walk Among the Tombstones lands directly in the middle. It introduces information to the audience that is not too obvious or too cryptic and as soon as the audience makes the connection, Scudder makes it as well. It's like going along for the ride, which makes for a more engaging experience.

Another great thing about this movie is that it's actually scary. I didn't expect it to be at all, and yet it was. It's not scary in the same ways that many horror films are scary. The film is scary in a Criminal Minds kind of way. It gets fear from being rooted in reality. The fact that everything in this film could actually happen is terrifying. In many ways, A Walk Among the Tombstones is scarier than many recent horror films. Coming out of the theatre at night after having watched it, you wouldn't want to walk back to your car alone. This film also gets pretty graphic at times. Not too much, but there are one or two scenes that I found hard to watch.

The direction by Scott Frank is very good. He makes great use of some panning shots and his establishing shots are amazing and powerful. The editing in this film is also spectacular. The editing perfectly keeps the pace of the film, never breaking once. The use of some montages is also very effective. But if there's one department that deserves real credit, it's the sound department. The way this film sounded was incredible. Carlos Rafael Rivera did the score for this one and it's very eerie and chilling. The score perfectly accompanies the tone of the film with its haunting tunes. And the sound design and editing is top notch. All of these things culminate in a very engaging viewing experience.

However, I do have a few issues with the film. There are few instances of plot conveniences. Not many, but one or two really stuck out to me and the film lost its realistic atmosphere for a moment. Another issue is with TJ. His character often disappears and doesn't reappear until the plot needs him. This doesn't happen too often, but often enough to the point where it's noticeable. Finally, Scudder's dilemma with his past is brought up several times throughout the film but by the end Scudder doesn't really reach a resolution. You could argue that it is left up to interpretation but the execution just ignored it rather, I feel.

A Walk Among the Tombstones came as a great surprise to me. Liam Neeson is finally playing a different character and one that suits him perfectly, the story was excellent, the script was tightly and expertly written, the cast was terrific, the list goes on. I went in expecting a mediocre action-thriller. But what I got was a very good investigation-thriller. A Walk Among the Tombstones breathes life into the quite forgotten genre of film noir. It is no secret that I love film noir, and I must say that this was a very pleasant surprise as a fan of the genre. I understand if people don't really like this film as it has a slightly acquired taste to it, but I'd say check it out all the same. I had a great time with it, and I can't wait to buy it when it comes out and watch it again.

Grade: A-