Prodigy – not to be mistaken with the horror movie The Prodigy that is apparently set for
release next year – is a psychological thriller film about a psychologist named
James Fonda (Richard Neil) who is taken to a secret government facility to
evaluate its extraordinary detainee: a dangerous, genius young girl named Ellie
(Savannah Liles). As their interview/battle
of wits progresses, Fonda eventually becomes aware of two critical things: a.) Ellie’s gift goes beyond her intellect;
and b.) the practical but cruel fate in store for her. Thus, he becomes more and more determined to
prove to her and her observing captors that she’s not really a sociopath, even
if the cost is to bare his own vulnerabilities to her as well as the
potential of receiving physical harm.
I found this film generally riveting. A good reason for this is,
probably, because I wasn’t aware what it was going to be about. Thus, its sense of mystery has an optimum effect
on me. I was made strongly intrigued on
what the deal with Ellie is. And though
I had an idea what it was going to be – I’ve encountered tons of similar
stories after all – the eventual reveal still proved moderately surprising and
rewarding.
Another reason why I was riveted is
the sharp, absorbing dialogue. A majority
of this movie is just characters talking and talking. But it seldom gets boring. The verbal sparring match of Fonda and Ellie –
brought about by compelling deliveries from the actors – especially paints this
captivating psychological chess game (at some point, it even involved a literal
chess game) that serves as the crux that holds the movie together.
In the end, Prodigy is not quite a mindblowing gem. It has problems, and though a large part of
it is engaging, it still gets noticeably tedious at times. Moreover, it ends in a place that’s satisfying
enough but may prove somewhat underwhelming to people hoping for a final big plot
twist. Nevertheless, for a low-budget
production, it’s as solid as it can possibly be.
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