Serenity

Modern noirs tend to skate a thin line between homage and parody, or else they pick a side. This film flies out of bounds into surely unintentional silliness, as writer-director Steven Knight (Locke) presents a tropical thriller more closely aligned with twisty, kitschy 90s films like The Game and The Truman Show. The leading man of this mess is a crusty fishing-boat captain (Matthew McConaughey) who guzzles rum on a remote island and obsesses over catching a giant tuna—that is, until his sultry ex (Anne Hathaway) shows up with a bigger fish for him to fry. Hathaway leans into her role as femme fatale, though only she and Diane Lane, who plays the captain’s island lover, seem to think they’re acting in a neo-noir. This is a directing failure, seeing as McConaughey acts like he’s in a prestige drama; his intensity clashes with the pulpy narrative and its illogical contrivances. The movie becomes even more ridiculous after its big reveal, which is obvious from early on and suggested in the opening shot. With Jason Clarke, Djimon Hounsou, and Jeremy Strong.