Banshee (2006)

This one was good. It starts a little cheesy but gets better...

I'm reminded I haven't seen Taryn Manning in a movie in some time. Not that I recall at least. She plays a bad-ass girl here, out in the world, in the snow, zagging cars and playing cops and robbers... just looking for a guy who can cook for her, when one day a psycho comes into her life, kills her companion and kidnaps her girlfriend.

That was unexpected!

I wasn't expecting a full-on thriller. Was expecting something more along the lines of Gone in 60 Seconds - gritty and desperate maybe but more so with a focus on the action. The action's less the focus here - though a brutal and prominent part sometimes.

It's more about the life. The hard life. And about love.

Cars are but a small part too. The one chase is chaotic and shaky, but not bad. You don't get the sense that Sage (that's Taryn) is the greatest driver in the world though. She looks small behind the wheel. She doesn't feel like one who has diesel in her veins, even if she is a bad-ass character, on edge with the world, her confidence a façade for goodness...

And then she runs into a cop... and somewhat saves his life. And the psycho getting high on frequencies is certainly an interesting touch.

I love the script. A+ on script. There's a lot of dialog but it rarely feels misplaced, and the concept's interesting, and unique. The scenery's good. The characters are good. Sometimes the land of crime's almost comical but then again... it's really not.

Maybe it's just because they chose such a good and seemingly unsuitably character for a front figure in that big bad world she's living in that it sometimes seems off.

I love the cooking thing too. Full circle thing. Wholesome end.

Sometimes the acting and progression feels a little unnatural. Nineties vibes. IDK. But in the end... I do enjoy it.

More than I thought I would. Every single character has character in this. And it's a cold but immersive world too.

The black girl btw: Genelle Williams.

 rated 4.5/5: almost awesome