Bringing truly frightening moments and a cast of unique characters, Bad Samaritan is a true thriller that will have its viewers cowering with each twist and turn. The film utilizes it setting perfectly and might makes viewers think twice before leaving their car at the valet.

The Portland, Oregon based film centers on a young Irish valet named Sean Falco (Robert Sheehan) as he is trying to make a living as a photographer. While he might be quite skilled, Falco resorts to valeting with his friend, Derek (Carlito Olivero), and breaking into the homes of their clients after they are given the car keys. But Cale Erendreich (David Tennant) is no ordinary client and after Falco breaks into his luxurious home, he finds a young woman bound and gagged. This kicks off an intense cat and mouse game as Falco struggles to find a way to save the young woman and stop Erendreich before he reaches his true endgame.

Sheehan and Tennant work flawlessly as destined enemies and are true show-stealers. Having Sheehan’s persona be that of an Irish Immigrant is something that audiences wouldn’t expect to see on-screen. It might seem small and unimportant, but this detail actually affects how other characters view and treat Falco. It adds a deeper layer to the story and the stakes that much higher for Falco. Not to mention, that audiences will love Falco regardless of his criminal flaws that make him the kind of anti-hero audiences love to see.

Tennant also pulls out all the stops to create a dark and sinister character that audiences will loves to hate. His truly psychotic acts will have viewers trying to look away but be wanting to see more from him as the film goes on. Tennant also showcases the characters intelligence with technology and revenge, making him a more dominant and devious villain that viewers haven’t seen in the genre.

His performance, however, can feel a tad animated at times and this comes especially when Tennant’s screaming comes into play. It makes moments turn to dark and dreadful to cartoony and zany. Not to mention, the film’s lackluster attempt to create an interesting motivation for Tennant’s characters. In its attempts to use bread crumbs to lead its viewers to a delicious and eye-opening ending, viewers are only led to a stale and unworthy realization.

While clearly Bad Samaritan is more of an indie film than a big blockbuster, it showcases its budget in a bad way when attempting to have more action-oriented scenes. There are some moments that feel off due to the use of CGI and it looks so bad that audiences won’t be able to help being distracted by it.

Regardless of the bad effects, though, Bad Samaritan is an intense thriller that contains a great cast and plenty of dark turns. It’s a film that many might sleep on, but should definitely take a gander when they get the chance.