Hypnotic

At times I was reminded of the 2015 thriller Solace, in which Anthony Hopkins helped the FBI by functioning as a sort of psychic satnav. Somehow, this is even sillier.

As it is, even with the short running time, there are plenty of opportunities to notice the lack of spark between Affleck and Braga, the grating bombast of the soundtrack and the paltry special effects.

It’s sloppily executed, without a hint of dramatic tension.

The mood is gun-happy and conspiracy-minded, but the real killer is what feels like 80 percent of the running time being spent with Affleck and co-stars standing in rooms explaining the plot.

As a film fan, you have to respect the continued indie spirit with which Rodriguez works... but the script and performances in “Hypnotic” are too laughably absurd to take seriously.

While it's not plausible, believable, or even able to fully follow its own logic strains, it does achieve a certain level of deranged camp. Put it this way: It's never dull, and if nothing else, "Hypnotic" is a hoot.

It’s pacey, fun, and absurdly overconfident about its own premise.

Instead, seek out Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s enigmatic, darkly funny, and disturbing Cure from 1997. A film which Hypnotic’s filmmakers wish it could be.

Do not expect too much from the film, and there's a chance you might just enjoy it. It’s silly and absurd.

Rodriguez's spirit and good intentions seem to have been lost among medium budgets —but perhaps not quite generous enough— excessive seriousness, and convoluted plots in a sort of $65 million B-movie with Nolan-esque aspirations.