Quartile rating: 6/10 · 1 rating
A businessman, on his daily commute home, gets unwittingly caught up in a criminal conspiracy that threatens not only his life but the lives of those around him.
The Commuter is a competent but formulaic Liam Neeson action-thriller that treads very familiar ground. The conspiracy premise aboard a train is reasonably engaging early on but stretches credibility as it escalates. Neeson brings his trademark gravitas to the role, elevating material that wouldn't work nearly as well without him. Cinematography is serviceable but unremarkable, confined mostly to train interiors with little visual distinction. The film offers little that feels fresh, recycling the 'ordinary man thrust into extraordinary danger' template Neeson has visited many times. The resolution is rushed and relies on convenient plot mechanics, leaving the ending feeling unsatisfying.