Destroyer puts Nicole Kidman in easily one of the most gripping and gritty performances of her career while also bringing a dark and surprising story of revenge.

The film follows Erin Bell (Kidman), a detective who has gone through rough times after a case gone bad. Bell struggles to sleep, and her bad ways have now transferred into her young daughter (Jade Pettyjohn) as she drinks and skips school. However, bigger problems arise for Bell as an old enemy begins to resurface which gives Bell flashbacks to past mistakes. Now Bell must face her past and correct her mistakes in order to stop an old enemy from affecting her present.

Kidman is legitimately a force to be reckoned with in Destroyer as she makes Bell a truly complex and tough character. It’s almost crazy to see the dark depths that Bell goes through and the dangerous situations she puts herself in. I also really enjoyed how we slowly learn about Belle relationship with her partner (Sebastian Stan) and how the undercover case they worked on changed her whole perspective on life. With each scene, you can see how Kidman’s Bell has pretty destroyed herself with drinking and a gritty personality and her relationships with selfish motives and basically cut people off completely.

The film is also pretty easy to follow as it basically follows Bell visiting former associates in order to gain information as to where her old enemy is. It takes time to also showcase how undercover situations can really affect detectives and how it bleeds into their personal lives. Destroyer maybe follow similar and typical beats that audiences would expect to see, but it also some unique moments with interactions between Bell and her daughter.

The story does have a great surprise, though, in the form of a late plot twist that’s tough to see coming and feels incredibly satisfying. Now after seeing the film, though, I do find myself feeling that the film can come off as forgettable. There were some highlights for me, like Bell stopping the bank robbery and her meeting with the crooked DiFranco (Bradley Whitford), however it’s tough to find other highlights and memorable moments outside of Kidman’s performance. That’s not to say that Destroyer isn’t entertaining or enjoyable, as that is certainly not the cast, it just hasn’t been a film that’s stuck with me.

As a whole, Destroyer is great revenge flick with a standout performance from Kidman and some solid twists and turns. It has plenty of great moments, even if they don’t all stick with you once its over, and some great character moments that make it feel unique.

Watch the Trailer Here: