Black Site Review: Michelle Monaghan Leads A Bland Action-Thriller

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There are many films and TV shows that revolve around the war on terror. Many of which showcase a cast of characters that fall into archetypes and become pitted against, or alongside, terrorists who have one simple goal to cause chaos. Often, these narratives follow a protagonist with some personal connection to their job. Therefore, they must work harder to combat terrorism. Black Site follows this trope with the central heroine reeling from a terrible loss due to a terrorist attack, but the film is a basic thriller with little to offer audiences who enjoy the genre.

Michelle Monaghan plays Abby Trent, a CIA analyst who lost her husband and daughter to a terrorist attack in Istanbul, Turkey. She is distraught by the loss of her family. Fighting against common sense, she argues her way back to work to discover who ruined her life. She finds herself at a secret facility known as Citadel, the location for suspected terrorists held for “questioning.” What starts as a mission to discover the identity of the elusive Hatchet (Jason Clarke) turns into a deadly game of cat and mouse when he is “captured” and brought in.

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Black Site is stubbornly basic. The script is a weak replication of standard text for a movie like this. A story like this can only be elevated with exceptional directing or superb acting. The subject matter and the borderline villainous protagonists are left floundering. Black Site should have aspired to be more; it should have reached the standard set by Zero Dark Thirty (the film that should have garnered Jessica Chastain her Oscar), but the film is disturbingly flat. Lifeless. Even in moments where the ensemble is together,