The Expat – Movie Review
Director: Gregory Segal
Writer: Gregory Segal (Screenplay)
Cast
- Lovely Abella (Dragon Lady)
- Mon Confiado (Heneral Luna)
- Lev Gorn (Maniac)
- Leo Martinez
Plot: A PTSD-stricken former American Marine on vacation in the Philippines becomes the prime suspect in a series of murders of his romantic partners.
Runtime: 1 Hour 36 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Story: The Expat starts as former American Marine Nick (Gorn) takes a vacation in the Philippines. He finds a hotel and jumps on the dating websites, meeting a different woman each night. When detective Cruz (Confiado) gets called in for the death of one of these women, it doesn’t take long before a second body turns up.
Nick becomes the prime suspect and soon after, every woman he sees turns up dead. This leaves Nick in a race to discover the truth if he is ever going to get out of the country until he starts to fall in love.
Verdict on The Expat
Characters
Nick is a former American Marine who is looking for a break in life after his PTSD experiences. He wants a chance to relax away from the world, choosing the Philippines for this time. Going around town he meets women for one-night stands, only the day after, they are found dead. He is the prime suspect in the case, needing to try and prove his innocence.
Cruz is the detective investigating the case, he will use rough measures for the answers. Trying to get the truth out of Nick, while not giving away everything, teaching the younger officers how to handle to the case.
Delilah is a single mother that Nick meets, she is the one he falls for and doesn’t treat the same as the others he meets. She has struggled to make ends meet for her son, seeing the good in Nick despite the reputation he has around the area.
Performances
Lev Gorn is in the leading role in the movie, he does make his character look like an average guy on holiday. The problem in this performance comes from the fact he never looks worried about what is happening. The supporting cast is solid enough, but nobody makes us feel like we are truly in the environment.
Story
The story follows an American marine on vacation in the Philippines who becomes the prime suspect in a murder investigation. After the women, he spends the nights with are found dead. He needs to figure out what is happening before it becomes too clear as to why he is involved.
This does create an interesting mystery, but never feels as intense as it should be. Considering this is an American accused of a serious crime in a country that would give them no support against the crimes. There aren’t main clues placed along the way to suggest who could be behind it either. The added PTSD side of Nick’s character doesn’t get played on enough, as it looks like it is wanted to be used as part of the potential outcomes,
Themes
The Expat is a mystery thriller that looks to solve a string of murders in the Philippines. It uses the location to show a tourist adapting to the area, while the murders are hidden in the alleyways. As previously mentioned, the thriller side of the film isn’t as intense as it should be, leaving plenty of the film feeling flat.
Final Thoughts –The Expat is a tidy thriller that lacks intensity.
