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Saturday, December 08, 2018

'Prodigy' Is a Generally Riveting Low-Budget Psychological Thriller

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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