Tortured (2008)

Directed by: Nolan Lebovitz | 102 minutes | thriller, crime | Actors: Cole Hauser, Laurence Fishburne, James Cromwell, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Jon Cryer, James Denton, Alistair Abell, Josh Blacker, Michelle Boback, Jesse Bond, Jan Bos, Curtis Caravaggio, Kevin James, Robert LaSardo, Patrick Sabongui, Zak Santiago, Shayn Solberg, Bruno Verdoni, Mick Wilson

Thanks to films like ‘Saw’ and ‘Hostel’, torture in the film is very much in the spotlight. Horror buffs love to go along with the most insane methods of torture for victims, just for the pleasure of the killer – and indirectly for the pleasure of the viewer. What you thereby lose sight of, however, is that this kind of abuse is originally intended to gain information. In ‘Tortured’ they go back to the basic principles of torture. American actor Cole Hauser already has many major productions on his resume, but in ‘Tortured’ he can play the leading role for the first time.

In ‘Tortured’ Hauser plays the role of Jimmy Vaughn, a tough (but for the ladies: attractive) guy, who doesn’t shy away from using brute force to achieve his goal. In a very amusing way he tries to infiltrate a secret criminal organization (the code word for the information about the “application procedure” is shouting that the coffee is too wet in a coffee shop). Less funny is the physical examination, both internal and external, that he has to undergo because the coffee shop owner wants to make sure that Jimmy is not wearing listening devices. Ultimately, Jimmy proves suitable for the job and slowly but surely gains the trust of top criminal Ziggy.

Ziggy hasn’t been seen by anyone in ages, but has a whole network of men who do dirty business for him. His accountant Archie Green (Laurence Fishburne) is said to have stolen about ten million dollars from him and Ziggy wants it back. He needs Jimmy for that. Archie is taken to a locked room and Jimmy has to torture him there until the Redemptive Words, where the ten million is located. That torture ranges from pulling out nails one by one to burning his feet. But as the film progresses, Jimmy starts to doubt whether Archie actually embezzled the money. Archie tells him about his friendship with Ziggy and to play on his mood, he also casually mentions that he has a wife and a daughter. Will Jimmy be able to continue his torture? When one of Ziggy’s partners dies at Jimmy’s hands and he visits his unwitting wife, we see some hint of Jimmy’s true feelings.

You don’t need to know too much about the plot of ‘Tortured’. It’s a skillfully crafted thriller with a decent level of acting. With a cast like Laurence Fishburne, Kevin Pollak and James Cromwell, it can hardly be otherwise, although Pollak is underused in his role as a psychiatrist. Cole Hauser shows what he has to offer in his first leading role and makes a good impression. If you expect a horror movie with a lot of gore based on the title, you’ll be blown away, although screenwriter and director Nolan Lebovitz is clearly inspired by the ‘Saw’ series: the scene where Jimmy is initiated into Ziggy’s organization does thanks to the quick assembly certainly reminiscent of the franchise. ‘Tortured’ is not a flawless production, by the way, it contains some pointless and clichéd plot lines, such as the woman (Emmanuelle Chriqui) who thinks her boyfriend is too absorbed in his work and therefore leaves him. The last scene also feels a bit contrived and only seems to be added to lead the viewer astray. However, that does not alter the fact that ‘Tortured’ is a nice thriller that will certainly surprise most viewers thanks to the excellent acting performance and the pleasant pace.