Black Site Review
Black Site is exactly what you would expect from a low-budget action flick, but with a solid cast that feel criminally underutilised, we are left wanting more.
The evasive and infamous Hatchet (Jason Clarke) has finally been captured following a string of terrorist attacks and sent to The Citadel, a top secret Five Eyes black site. Don’t know what Five Eyes is? Don’t worry, they will spell it out for you in the first ten minutes.
The Citadel’s second in command Abby (Michelle Monaghan) is grappling with her husband’s recent death at the hands of Hatchet and is scheduled for reassignment prior to Hatchet’s arrival.
She is joined by CIA operatives, the usual tech nerds, a guy wearing a Hawaiian shirt (job title unclear) and a gang of brutish male officers - played by some familiar Home & Away alumni that look like they are having the time of their life in these roles.
Hatchet’s capture is welcomed by the vengeful Abby, with hopes that she can finally get some answers and taste that sweet revenge. Good thing for Hatchet, this top-secret facility is kitted with a 2004 level of security tech (complete with major security camera blind spots) and is laughably understaffed. Hatchet manages to escape and begins his bloody rampage throughout the facility, taking down guards one by one. So begins an entertaining subversion from archetypal War on Terror thriller to slasher.
What follows can only be described as 45 minutes of gun-toting corridor skulking in a setting that reminds me all too much of waiting in the Tower of Terror line at Dreamworld. Although I can’t ignore the effect COVID must have had during filming, we have seen numerous films navigate restrictions like reduced sets and casts with great results. The maze-like corridors could have been better utilised to create a sense of anxiety and claustrophobia but instead it makes the film feel small. A tension-building score or some punchier editing could have been the saving grace.
Voice recordings and phone call audio seemed to be a late addition to the movie to try and provide the audience some exposition. It falls short and serves only to confuse audiences on character motives and storylines further. Abby’s “flashback” sequences mash hazy romantic embraces with drone strike footage (that looks like its pulled straight from Wikileaks) to offer some character depth. Michelle Monaghan pulls out some emotive line delivery to sell this backstory but there’s only so much you can do with a sloppy script.
Jason Clarke gives us some gruesome kills but doesn’t get the opportunity to really flex his villain muscles. With the limited dialogue he is given – I’m talking 3-4 lines – he comes off as more Michael Myers than Moriarty. Give us the Jason Clarke baddie we all love!
