BLACKLIGHT (2022) 

Blacklight is the latest Liam Neeson action vehicle to hit the big screen – a trend that’s been going on for over a decade now and you’d think these Neeson action films would become tiring, but I say… bring them on. 

 

While Neeson has gone all over the place with his action film career since his 2008 hit Taken, Blacklight falls somewhere in the middle. More of a story about the corruption in our federal bureau than a wholehearted action thriller, it still intrigued me enough to keep my attention for the 104 minute runtime. It might be attempting to be making a statement about our political system today or even yesterday but it’s difficult to tell if there is a meaning behind it all because whether aimed at something or not it comes off as cliché. 

 

Fans of Liam Neeson will more likely get a kick out of Neeson being a very similar badass he’s been for the past decade or so versus people tired of the same old, same old. The only difference is he’s also 10+ years older than when he started kicking ass but Blacklight whether by choice or by happenstance displays a man that’s still sly but he’s clearly less vital than he used to be. 

 

Any twist the film attempts to deliver can be called out before the title even shows itself. It’s not the most original plot, in fact it simulates what has been done on procedural television numerous times in the past. There’s no mystery to what’s happening – Blacklight is about as straightforward as you can make a thriller nowadays and director Mark Williams' decision to add glitch/lens flare effects at inopportune times throughout the feature certainly won’t be turning any heads.