“Message Man” Theatrical Poster
AKA: Kill Vengeance
Director: Corey Pearson
Cast: Paul O’Brien, Aji Santosa, Verdi Solaiman, Mario Irwinsyah, Agni Pratistha, Mike Lewis, Alfridus Godfred, Ronny P. Tjandra, Gary Plant, Denny Baskar
Running Time: 91 min.
By Henry McKeand
“He Killed for Money. Now He’s Out for Justice.”
If this tagline isn’t enough to tip you off, Corey Pearson’s Message Man shares a lot in common with films you’ve already seen. It stars South African-Australian actor Paul O’Brien as a former hitman named Kyle living in Indonesia who develops a bond with a single mother and her children, and it does very little to distance itself from “retired assassin” tropes. Yes, he’s forced to use his dormant skills when the innocent family is put at risk, facing the sins of his past life in the process. Despite the familiarity of the premise, audiences come to this kind of film expecting engaging violence and a satisfying take on the formula, and Message Man boasts solid performances with a few unique action moments. Sadly, a tepid screenplay and some ugly digital effects prevent it from being much more than a light diversion for genre die-hards.
Surprisingly, the film excels in the quiet moments leading to the promised killing spree. The first act set-up, in which Kyle gets to know the family that reawakens his humanity, is completely effective. The performances play a big part, and O’Brien is good at lending depth to a character who says very little in the first thirty minutes of the film. Whereas some retired assassin characters are unrealistically warm and sympathetic, O’Brien plays Kyle with a shell-shocked intensity that makes him emotionally distant for his first several scenes. This means that the moments when we see a crack in his armor are especially rewarding, and he comes off as a believable ex-killer. His character growth is boosted by the performances of Agni Pratistha, who plays the single mother, and Aji Santosa, who plays her young son.
The film’s first mistake unfortunately takes place the moment the blood starts to fly. After a group of criminals carelessly hurt the young boy, Kyle is given a chance to show off his hand-to-hand combat skills. O’Brien has a tight handle on the fighting, and the scene is promising at first. However, cheap-looking CGI blood effects distract from the choreography, and Kyle’s knives have apparently been digitally added in post-production. The result is a limp scene that delivers none of the tactile brutality that viewers have come to expect from Indonesian classics such as The Raid and The Night Comes For Us. This isn’t to say that digital blood effects are always a bad thing, and it’s tough to criticize a relatively low-budget film for trying to overcome its financial constraints, but this short sequence sets a bad precedent.
The good news is that the action improves, and digital effects are used sparingly enough for the rest of the film. There are also some inspired ideas to keep things interesting as the bodies pile up, many of which involve planning and collaboration. Despite being established as a lone wolf, Kyle relies on others multiple times during the film, from hiring a mysterious sniper to enlisting the help of a regular cab driver. This gives the action a fresh angle, and Kyle’s willingness to receive support makes him a deadlier and more compelling protagonist than your average one-man-army heroes.
The action direction is also solid. Pearson never used rapid cuts or shaky cam to disguise the choreography, though the melee fight scenes lack the same level of fluidity as those in the bigger Indonesian flicks. There are also multiple instances of the film cutting away from action scenes and using gunshot sound effects to imply shootouts that we never see. This is clearly designed to create the illusion of a grand cinematic bloodbath, but it instead only draws attention to the modest budget.
In the final act, the story begins to fizzle out as it loses focus on the core dynamic between Kyle and the family. Too much narrative space is given to boring villains with unconvincing connections to Kyle’s old career, which is a shame considering the first act’s strong character work. For many action fans, this won’t matter. Pearson has crafted an at-times sturdy revenge film that hits most of the necessary beats. Message Man isn’t the under-the-radar hidden gem that I was hoping for when I saw it streaming on Amazon Prime, but it could be worth a watch for those happy to try out a c-list actioner in the same vein as The Man from Nowhere and Man on Fire.
Henry McKeand’s Rating: 5/10
