‘Broken Vows’ psychological thriller DVD movie review

Lionsgate will release Broken Vows on Oct. 11 to DVD, digital and On Demand. The film’s cast is lead by Wes Bentley, Jaimie Alexander and Cam Gigandet. Though moviegoers have seen versions of this story in the past, Broken Vows has some interesting qualities about it.

Patrick, played by Wes Bentley, is the bartender turned-hookup turned-stalker of the film. Unfortunately, he comes off as a bit creepy right from the start. This makes it feel slightly unrealistic that Tara – the main character – would proceed to go home with him. However, Bentley goes on to expertly portray the unhinged Patrick. Subtleties in body language, gestures and delivery fill out the role, creating a sense of realism. Consequently, his performance was the clear highlight of Broken Vows.

Broken Vows, mixed emotions

Alexander plays the leading lady. As is often the case in thrillers, her character's lack of prompt and honest communication frustrates audiences and the obvious question: "Why did you not immediately call the police?" comes to mind. Alexandra Breckenridge plays her best friend named Debra. To the point and swift to act, Debra counteracts Tara’s seeming unwillingness to be proactive about her own predicament.

Unfortunately, Alexander’s portrayal of Tara was hard to read, making connecting with her difficult. It is refreshing to see women in thrillers refraining from constant nervous breakdowns. However, she took her lack of reaction to the situation a bit too far.

Throughout Broken Vows there were four or five obvious instances in which the plot hung on wild coincidence, silly mistakes or characters conveniently forgetting things. As compared with most films in the genre, this is not a bad stat. Though not particularly suspenseful, this film manages to make audiences uncomfortable at times – a credit to Bentley, as well as director Bram Coppens. Additionally, although the writing was not particularly inspiring, the cinematography was well crafted and added to the storytelling.

Broken Vows is not a revolutionary film. However, it is an enjoyable watch for the Halloween season. Bentley’s performance alone may be worth the 91 minutes of couch time.

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