Nerds That Geek Movie Review: 'ExPatriot'

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Sometimes, whether we like or not, our best intentions can blow up in our faces. You know exactly what I’m talking about. We wanted to help out a friend, or set a wrong, right and in doing so, we either made things worse or offended and hurt our friends and while there is plenty of guilt and sadness that follows such an unfortunate surprise, how we move forward after our mistake is what matters most and that whole scenario is explored in the darkest of fashion in the fascinating motion picture, ExPatriot.
 
In this film, we meet CIA Analyst Riley Conners, who is struggling with the fact that her division spies illegally on everyday Americans. But her guilt motivates her to do something about it, and in stunning fashion, she reveals the CIA’s actions to the world and while it seems at first, she has done her country a great service, an unforeseen consequence to her actions sends her into hiding. Two years later, Riley is miserable and trying her best to survive in Columbia when an unexpected opportunity drops into her lap. An old flame from her CIA days arrives in the country with an incredible offer; help him retrieve millions of dollars in suspicious money, and Riley will receive a pardon and a ticket back home and she quickly comes to realize, it’s an offer she simply cannot refuse. But unfortunately for Riley, she’s about to learn that sometimes redemption comes at a great price when she discovers that her old beau is using her to further his own agenda…
 
Now, if that seems like the quite the complex plot, you’re one hundred percent right and bear in mind that’s merely the setup for the story. Because ExPatriot features an incredibly intricate plot, filled to the brim with deception and twists and turns that keep your attention throughout and in all honesty, I was extremely impressed with this motion picture when all is said and done. In part because of that magnificent storyline, but what truly sucked me into this film was its unique style and design because this is an unconventional thriller through and through. 

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​Case in point, the fact that this movie is in essence, devoid of the bravado and flashy style that often comes with indie thrillers. Instead of giving us over the top characters who are bloodthirsty and hell-bent on revenge, we get realistic ones that are haunted by their pasts and desperate to set things right in their lives and there’s a real sense of disdain when our characters are forced to the play their little spy games because they simply want more out of life, and the realism doesn’t end there. Because often times in thrillers when people fight or take a bullet they soldier on like it’s no big deal, but here, a single punch drops a person due to the pain and a bullet puts people out of commission right away and it was simply refreshing to see all of this on display.
 
But truly, the best part of this motion picture, is Riley Connors. I really love the fact that an action/thriller decided to feature a bold and tough female lead for a change and also that she receives a complete journey in this story. Because we get to see Riley go from a timid analyst who is terrified of her decision to blow the whistle on our nation’s government to someone who is outright fearless and will stop at nothing to make peace with her painful past and really, that level of gravity cannot be accomplished without quality acting and Valene Kane, who plays Riley, simply shines in the role through and through.
 
However, while the overall realism of the story and the character development is enough to keep your attention for the entirety of the movie, I did also want to take a moment and tip my cap over the fact that this thriller is socially relevant as well. After all, the hints of Edward Snowden and the throwback to the debate over the Patriot Act were not lost on me while watching this and well, I feel as though those little tidbits merely enhanced an already wonderful movie. Either way, this is an entertaining ride any way you slice it and it’s one that’s definitely worth a watch since it has something new to offer to a genre that has been overrun with bravado and over the top moments.   

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