Wrecked

A man opens his eyes (Adrien Brody) and he finds himself at the bottom of a ravine. He is strapped to his seat by a seatbelt and he is in tremendous pain. Through the broken glass he blinks and attempts to focus, another man lies dead just beyond in the woods. He must have gone through the windshield. As his gaze now travels to the rearview mirror, the man is shocked by what he sees. Not only is his face cut and bruised, the man does not recognize himself, nor does he remember his name or how he got there. There is another dead body in the backseat. The man groans and passes out.
 
When the man awakens again, he tries to take inventory of his situation. He is thirsty, hungry, in pain and cold. His vision is compromised and his memory is still gone. He tries to free himself but he is trapped. His leg is pinned by the dashboard. He tries to pull it out but he doesn’t have the strength. Then he spots a piece of candy on the floor. He reaches for it but it is just beyond his grasp. In frustration he slams his body against the passenger side door. No luck, he sleeps again. Who is he and how did he get there?
 
As we journey with this solitary man in and out of consciousness, we struggle with him to discover the truth of his puzzling situation. His memory comes back in little flashes, but his mind is also playing tricks on him. At times he is delirious, at other times he dreams. What is real, what is fantasy, and why has no one come? Both the man and the viewer are in the dark. Together we will solve this mystery.
 
Wrecked is a fascinating tale of survival by first-time feature director Michael Greenspan. Like 127 Hours the story revolves around a solitary man trapped in a confining situation, but unlike that movie we know nothing about this man or how he got there. Like a film noir, there is a sinister element here, and a dark menacing quality. Should we care about this character or has he gotten what he deserves? Your eyes will search for every detail.
 
This film is executed with a languid pace, yet it draws you in and can be very thrilling. It is hard to describe the myriad of emotions that you will be going through without giving any of the story away. Suffice it to say that if you enjoy mysteries, puzzles and the fine acting of Adrien Brody, then you’ll love this film. I was fascinated throughout and found the film very exciting. I look forward to what this director will do next.

Rating: First Run An excellent and moody thriller