Quartile rating: 6/10 · 1 rating
Michael Jennings is a genius who's hired – and paid handsomely – by high-tech firms to work on highly sensitive projects, after which his short-term memory is erased so he's incapable of breaching security. But at the end of a three-year job, he's told he isn't getting a paycheck and instead receives a mysterious envelope. In it are clues he must piece together to find out why he wasn't paid – and why he's now in hot water.
Paycheck is a competent but uneven sci-fi thriller based on Philip K. Dick's short story. The central conceit—a man leaving himself clues to navigate a future he already saw—is intriguing and gives the film a reasonably engaging mystery structure. However, the plot execution is formulaic once the premise is established, devolving into a fairly routine chase film. Ben Affleck is miscast and delivers a flat performance, while Uma Thurman and Aaron Eckhart are underutilized. John Woo's direction provides slick action choreography but feels anonymous compared to his best work—the cinematography is serviceable but unremarkable. The PKD source material lends some novelty to the concept, though the film doesn't fully exploit its philosophical potential. The ending wraps things up too neatly and conveniently, lacking the satisfying payoff the premise promises.