In Hypnotic, Academy Award winner Ben Affleck takes on the role of Austin detective Danny Rourke, a man consumed by the disappearance of his daughter. Following an anonymous tip, Rourke finds himself investigating a series of reality-bending bank robberies that lead him to question his most basic assumptions about everything and everyone in his world.
The movie, directed by Robert Rodriguez, is a passion project that took over 20 years to reach the screen. Inspired by a restored widescreen re-release of Hitchcock’s 1958 classic Vertigo, Rodriguez set out to make a Hitchcockian thriller of his own, with relentless twists and turns.
Rourke’s investigation leads him to Diana Cruz, a gifted psychic played by Alice Braga, who provides him with the initial anonymous tip. Together, they attempt to unravel the mystery behind the bank robberies and the enigmatic figure played by William Fichtner, who seems to be manipulating everyone around him.
As Rourke pursues the mystery man, he finds himself in a dangerous shadow-world where nothing and no one is quite what it seems. With the aid of Cruz, he attempts to answer the questions that haunt him and find his missing daughter.
The film boasts an impressive ensemble cast, with JD Pardo as Rourke’s partner Nicks, Hala Finley as his missing daughter Minnie, Dayo Okeniyi as tech wiz cum conspiracy theorist River, Jeff Fahey as Carl, Jackie Earle Haley as the reclusive expat Jeremiah, and William Fichtner as the enigmatic figure Rourke pursues.
Filmmaker Robert Rodriguez first began working on the story for Hypnotic in 2002. Working intermittently on the project in the ensuing years before partnering with writer Max Borenstein, the film went through many revisions, but still retains many of the original hooks and set pieces from Rodriguez’s initial draft.
Springing to international prominence in 1992 with his micro-budgeted breakout, El Mariachi, Texas native Robert Rodriguez remains one of the most influential directors working today. Along the way, Rodriguez built his own production facility, Austin’s Troublemaker Studios, where much of Hypnotic was shot, and has forged creative partnerships with moviemakers from James Cameron to Quentin Tarantino.
Notably, it was Rodriguez’s considerable filmography – and his distinctive approach – that also attracted the interest of two-time Oscar winner, Ben Affleck, who seized upon the opportunity to collaborate with one of the industry’s most influential directors on his latest film, thus helping to shepherd Hypnotic into production.
Ketchup Entertainment released Hypnotic widely in the US on May 12. With its mind-bending plot, impressive cast, and the creative vision of Robert Rodriguez, Hypnotic promises to be a must-see film for fans of the action-thriller genre and anyone looking for a thrilling ride.
