[vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”29489″ img_size=”800×450″ alignment=”center”][vc_column_text]David Harbour is everyone’s favorite from Netflix’s Stranger Things, but he is downright creepy in 2014’s A Walk Among the Tombstones. Based on the 1992 book by Lawrence Block, this “neo-noir” thriller stars Liam Neeson, Dan Stevens, Harbour, Brian Bradley, and Boyd Holbrook.
The Plot
Neeson plays a washed-up and retired detective who is approached by Holbrook one night, looking for Neeson’s help. The two know each other from AA/NA meetings. Holbrook’s character is not only a drug addict, but a painted, and former military. The irony of him being a drug addict is that his brother, played by Stevens; is a drug trafficker who doesn’t use what he trafficks. At first, Neeson doesn’t want anything to do with Holbrook’s plea for help, until he finds out why Stevens needs his help. Stevens’ wife was kidnapped and murdered, even though Stevens delivered the ransom. Let’s just say, these criminals just do it for kicks.
That’s where Harbour comes in. Virtually unrecognizable without his beloved beard, Harbour is eerily great at playing this frightening psychopath. What does Harbour’s character like? Well, toying with the helpless husbands of loved ones he’s taken, sexually assaulting them, and dismembering them. Really creepy.
Harbour and Adam David Thompson’s character take wives and girlfriends of drug traffickers because they know these men cannot reach out to the police for help. While there is no bringing Stevens’ wife back, Stevens brings in Sebastian’s Roche’s character into the fray. Another drug trafficker, his daughter is kidnapped when the kidnappers find out that Roche’s wife is bedridden.
Too Much Squeezed In
There is a lot going on in this movie, but yet the film at times feels like it’s standing still. While many aspects work in a book, they didn’t always work in the movie. We briefly got a glimpse of Holbrook’s character’s secret affection for his brother’s wife. That was thrown in there. As well as this friendship Neeson makes with Bradley’s character. Neeson is a little flat and despite Stevens being immensely talented, he’s so stone-faced to the point of making me wonder if he was just incredibly uncomfortable with the character.
Regardless, I enjoyed the little bit of Holbrook that we got. I miss the older movies Holbrook was in and when they would have him play drug addicts and the like; he seemed to excel in those roles. Take a moment to check out Cardboard Boxer; he’s really good in it.
Harbour is the star of this movie. The creepiest serial killer you’ve seen in a while, he’s just so good in this role. The ending went on a little longer than it should have and despite the fact that it sounded like I didn’t particularly like this film, it’s still a good one to check out. I personally liked Liam Neeson better in movies like Run All Night and Non-Stop, but A Walk Among the Tombstones is all David Harbour’s show.
Rating: 2.5/5
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JjRoh13vzY[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
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