Quartile rating: 6/10 · 1 rating
Frankie McGuire, one of the IRA's deadliest assassins, draws an American family into the crossfire of terrorism. But when he is sent to the U.S. to buy weapons, Frankie is housed with the family of Tom O'Meara, a New York cop who knows nothing about Frankie's real identity. Their surprising friendship, and Tom's growing suspicions, forces Frankie to choose between the promise of peace or a lifetime of murder.
The Devil's Own is a competently made but fundamentally muddled thriller that famously suffered a troubled production. The plot — IRA assassin hides with unwitting NYC cop — has potential but never fully delivers on its dramatic promise, feeling underdeveloped and tonally inconsistent. Brad Pitt and Harrison Ford both give solid performances, with Pitt's Irish accent receiving mixed reactions but his commitment earning credit. The cinematography is professional but unremarkable genre work. The film's central premise offers some novelty but ultimately retreads familiar fugitive/trust thriller territory without distinctive voice. The ending is appropriately somber and earned given the trajectory, adding some weight to an otherwise middling film.