Phi Vụ Đen Blacklight (2022)

'Blacklight', directed by Mark Williams, serves as a quintessential example of the action-thriller formula that has become a late-career hallmark for Liam Neeson. The film makes no attempt to subvert genre conventions, instead reinforcing them with a familiar government conspiracy narrative. From a cinematic technique perspective, the cinematography by Mark W. Toth and the editing pace are functionally professional, delivering a largely predictable yet adequately paced action experience. Neeson's performance, while reliably stoic and familiar, offers few moments of genuine breakthrough. Emmy Raver-Lampman and Taylor John Smith endeavor to carve out their roles, but the constrained screenplay limits their ability to exhibit significant depth. The thematic underpinnings, addressing the corrosion of power and the imperative for transparency, are well-trodden ground in espionage films, presented here with directness but lacking philosophical complexity or narrative innovation. Its placement within the contemporary action film landscape is that of a footnote, an illustration of how a commercially viable formula can be reiterated without leaving a profound artistic imprint or cinematic legacy.