Lou Review: Threadbare Thriller

Allison Janney kicks ageism to the curb with Lou, but ultimately, she can’t save this disposable Netflix thriller and its bare minimum offerings.

Lou (Allison Janney), a cranky old woman who lives in a forest with her dog Jax, is about to blow her brains out with a gun until Hannah (Jurnee Smollett) – a widowed mom who has been renting out her trailer – bursts into her house asking for help: her daughter was kidnapped by the father whom she presumed to be dead. Lou and Hannah go out into the storm to track down Phillip (Logan Marshall-Green) and rescue Vee (Ridley Asha Bateman).

That’s pretty much it. The scriptwriters don’t do much with the interesting elements they have in this film – a creative but unhinged Green Beret, a bitter but persistent CIA veteran, and a desperate but determined mom on a mission.

The obvious route would be to pit Philipp’s skills against Lou’s experience, with Hannah complicating matters but managing to catch up through sheer will. But the movie doesn’t explore this enough, stopping at creepy postcard clues and one cabin fight involving a mug.

The plot plods on with a damp uneventful cat-and-mouse game. Our reluctant heroine uses her survival skills (e.g. starting a fire with a battery) and berates her sidekick to keep up as they trek through mud and heavy rain. Meanwhile, Philipp waits for them somewhere in the forest keeping his daughter distracted with Toto bops that become the background music for this movie.

The cast tries their best to sell this film, which includes an emotional ending. Allison Janney proves that she can lead an action movie, but the rest of the cast is not to be underestimated.

But a barely-there story and dull plot prevent the audience from connecting with any of their characters and the tragic journey that led them there. If you are a fan of Allison Janney, it’s worth a watch, otherwise, you’re not missing out on anything by skipping this in your Netflix queue.

In the end, we have another half-assed female-led movie joining the line-up of Peppermint, Ocean’s 8, and The 355.