Retribution Trailer: Liam Neeson Can't Stop Driving Or His Family Will Blow Up
BY JEREMY MATHAI/JUNE 28, 2023 12:01 PM EST
It's not every day that those of us who aren't privy to the conversations going on within the offices of studio executives get such a transparent look into the minds of Hollywood's decision-makers. Writers know better than anyone how important elevator pitches are, summing up all the most buzz-worthy aspects of a script in one neat sentence and grabbing the attention of even the most business-minded bean counter out there. So when a trailer for a movie like "Retribution" drops, half the fun comes from imagining how those meetings initially went down. In this case, it sure looks like the name of the game was "What if Liam Neeson took things further than either 'Commuter' or 'Non-Stop' and did his own riff on 'Speed'?"
And you know what? We're here for it.
If they aren't already, comparisons to the 1994 Keanu Reeves- and Sandra Bullock-starring action classic are most assuredly going to be making the rounds in the aftermath of the trailer debut for "Retribution." Starring Liam Neeson, the patron saint of one-location thrillers set on different modes of transportation, this movie is actually a remake of a 2015 Spanish film titled "El Desconocido." But coming on the heels of past titles like "Commuter" and "Non-Stop" (both directed by "Black Adam" filmmaker Jaume Collet-Serra), it sure seems like this script might as well have been made for an actor like Neeson. It doesn't take long to figure out why.
That's enough teasing for now, however. Go put this trailer footage in your eyeballs right now!
Liam Neeson is on the hunt for some Retribution
Who among us had "Liam Neeson comes this close to repeating his famous 'I will find you and I will kill you' line from 'Taken'" on their Wednesday Bingo cards?
Lionsgate's newest action/thriller "Retribution" sure feels like a movie that's blissfully self-aware of its own influences, taking the kind of premise that Neeson has sunk his teeth into with such relish in years past and giving it a fresh coat of paint. Directed by Hungarian filmmaker Nimród Antal, "Retribution" follows a run-of-the-mill businessman named Matt Turner who gets into his car one day, sets off to drive his young children to school, and finds himself in a much more dire situation than he can even comprehend. Threatened by the mysterious voice on the other end of a burner phone, Matt is forced to keep driving and keep killing people for reasons unknown — or risk triggering the bombs hidden underneath the seats of his car.
Sounds like good, wholesome fun for the entire family! "Retribution" comes to theaters on August 25, 2023.