Quartile rating: 6.5/10 · 1 rating
While Carlos, a banking executive, takes his two kids to school in his car, he gets a phone call telling him that there is a bomb under the seats and he must to gather a large amount of money; otherwise, his car will blow up.
Retribution (2015) is a tight, contained Spanish thriller built around a single high-concept premise — a bomb under a car seat forcing a banking executive into a desperate scramble. The plot is functional and propulsive, keeping tension reasonably well though it relies on familiar thriller mechanics. The acting is serviceable, anchored by a committed lead performance that carries much of the film's weight. Cinematography is fairly workmanlike, doing little to distinguish itself beyond competent handheld work inside the confined car space. The premise has a degree of novelty in its claustrophobic, real-time execution, giving it a distinctive enough identity among similar phone-threat thrillers. The ending, however, feels somewhat deflating — the resolution lacks the punch needed to pay off the built-up tension satisfyingly.