Director Mike Figgis, best known for arthouse films like
Critics are troubled indeed. Ben Cornish (Christian Spotlight) says, "A cloud of hopelessness and despair shadow each character, yet the lack of character development never helps the audience explore why."
Gerri Pare (CNS) calls it a "ho-hum thriller. Thoroughly lackluster dialogue hampers Richard Jeffries' script, making it hard for Quaid and Stone to pump much life or chemistry into their roles. Figgis' direction telegraphs every plot development and, with virtually no surprises, a bland thriller results."
Nevertheless, the movie spooked Lisa Rice (Movieguide). She argues that "the filmmakers were masterful … the knuckles do stay white throughout the movie." But she concludes, "Regrettably, though, families and moral audiences will likely avoid this movie because the filmmakers load it with obscenities, sex, nudity, and excessive violence."
Bob Smithouser (Plugged In) agrees: "Frequent obscenities (plus … nudity and a loud, barely obscured sex scene) earn