Film

Derailed

Name: Derailed
Genre: Drama, Thriller
Released: 2005
Cast: Clive Owen, Jennifer Aniston, Vincent Cassel, Melissa George, Giancarlo Esposito

A slick thriller about a commuter affair that spirals into blackmail and violence. Derailed is the kind of movie that makes you chew your nails for two hours—genuinely taut, anchored by Owen's desperation and Cassel's menace. It's for anyone who likes their morality complicated and their plots efficiently wound.

TMDb rating

3.2

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you enjoy grim, slow-coiling thrillers where moral compromise tightens around two people who keep making uglier choices with and against each other.

Skip it if the bleak, sweaty mood and unflinching cruelty can feel punishing, and if you want sleek fun, this is a grubby ride.

What it asks of you: A taut hour and three-quarters with little slack: dread builds through long, claustrophobic rooms, and you have to keep track of who is lying to whom.

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The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

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