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Untraceable (2008)

Director: Gregory Hoblit

Time Out rating

Average user rating

21 reviews

Movie review

From Time Out London

You know something ain’t kosher when a movie purporting to offer a critique of sadistic voyeurism opens with a hand-rubbing scene of kitten abuse. A minor turn in the torture porn cycle, ‘Untraceable’ pegs its scenes of calculated torment to a web-phobic police procedural plot that tries to do for cybersnooping what ‘24’ did for ‘enhanced interrogation’.

Diane Lane is an Oregon FBI agent investigating a website on which victims are subjected to fatal ordeals involving cement, sulphuric acid and lawnmowers; the imaginative use of anticoagulants gives a whole new meaning to the term ‘streaming content’. The gimmick is that the more people click on the site, the faster the victim dies, making each of its users An Accomplice To Murder!

Such finger-pointing might – just might – come off a little more credibly if it weren’t interspersed with shots of bubbling skin, necrotising wounds and water-tanks clouded with blood. Genre clichés arrive at broadband speed, from the obstructive senior officer to the cute daughter’s interrupted birthday party.

Author: Ben Walters

Time Out London Issue 1958 Feb 27 – March 4

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User reviews of this film

toni+mike said...

Posted on Apr 05 2008 20:57 Thre film was amazing the best yet since saw. carnt wait till saw5.

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critique said...

Posted on Mar 20 2008 13:01 The central concept - that the victim dies quicker if the website gets more hits - is more interesting than the film its self, which plods along quite predictably.

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Dave said...

Posted on Mar 17 2008 12:23 this film was terrible! dont waste your time watching this!

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maya said...

Posted on Mar 14 2008 18:20 i think naz is a stoopz. movie was good but wouldv been better if mr khan starred in it.. mmmmmmmm

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nazdaq said...

Posted on Mar 14 2008 18:18 i thought heir was not that much tits n ass in the film ad plus bhaiya neva starred in that film so i think its an absolute disaster, btw mayas got a big botty lol

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Dave,cas said...

Posted on Mar 12 2008 00:14 Not the greatest of films sat and waited and waited 4 something exciting to happen and then fell asleep .

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Victor said...

Posted on Mar 11 2008 17:59 It was gripping, it was engaging... it is not one minute you watch your wathc or even think in peeing while in this movie... Love it... I liove that colours and the rain and the nastiness in the killers eyes... the anguish of Lane and the fact that she did not end up having an affair with the handsome detective... Morally... wow... who cares when the suspense is so great!

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Jax said...

Posted on Mar 09 2008 19:11 Imagine an insipid hybrid of "Saw" and "Silence of the Lambs", plodding along at a gentle pace to a predictable conclusion
This is "Untraceable". Best viewed on video, if there's nothing on telly.

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rajesh said...

Posted on Mar 07 2008 17:56 CALLING all SAW fans, GO and watch this movie, its almost as good! almost ( saw is hard to beat ), but it will feed your appetite for a while! definately worth watching

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Chris + Bex said...

Posted on Mar 06 2008 10:51 We just found it and i told bex that we ARE goin to see it. lol she scared.... we are gna watch semi pro too, just to get ready for the main event.

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marius said...

Posted on Mar 05 2008 16:13 I think it is a very good thriller and I love Diane Lane...

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hannah said...

Posted on Mar 04 2008 16:54 i thought untraceble was abit dissipointing, i presumed it would be more like "saw" Me and my boyfreind felt it didnt keep us guessing for long enough, i also thought with it being an 18 it wouldn't be easy understand, I found it very predictable. Overall it was a good story line, just more should of been made of it.

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jess + ross said...

Posted on Mar 02 2008 15:22 were going to c it 2nyt hehe

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Laurie Shepherd said...

Posted on Mar 01 2008 19:59 Quite simply an amazing thrill-ride thriller, Diane Lane is an amazing actress and the film was very exciting and thrilling. An intelligent thriller which builds to a nerve-shredding climax. Definately a must see film.

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Donna Loves Frank said...

Posted on Mar 01 2008 16:37 wer going to c this tonite =D

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