Good People (film)

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Good People
Theatrical release poster
Directed byHenrik Ruben Genz
Screenplay byKelly Masterson
Based onGood People
by Marcus Sakey
Produced byAvi Lerner
Benjamin Forkner
Ed Cathell III
Eric Kranzler
Tobey Maguire
StarringJames Franco
Kate Hudson
Omar Sy
Tom Wilkinson
Sam Spruell
CinematographyJørgen Johansson
Edited byPaul Tothill
Music byNeil Davidge
Production
companies
Film 360
Maguire Entertainment
Material Pictures
Distributed byMillennium Films
Release date
  • September 26, 2014 (2014-09-26) (United States)
Running time
90 minutes[1]
CountriesUnited States
United Kingdom
Sweden
Denmark
LanguageEnglish
Box office
  • $988,434 (Theatrical Performance)[2]
  • $67,904 (Home Market Performance)[2]
  • $1,056,338 (Total)

Good People (released in some countries as Getaway 2) is a 2014 American action thriller film directed by Henrik Ruben Genz and written by Kelly Masterson, based on Marcus Sakey's 2008 novel of same name.[3] The film stars James Franco, Kate Hudson, Omar Sy, Tom Wilkinson, and Sam Spruell and tells the story of an American couple, Tom and Anna Wright, living in London who fall into severe debt while renovating their family's home.[4] The film was released in select theaters and on demand on 26 September 2014.[5]

Plot[edit]

The story begins with four men pulling a heist together. The men rob a man named Khan (Omar Sy), a well-known French heroin dealer, of his drugs and money. Ben Tuttle and Bobby emerge from the building first. Ben shoots Bobby and runs off with all of the money and drugs. The two other men, Jack Witkowski (Sam Spruell) and Marshall (Diarmaid Murtagh), exit later. They find Bobby dead, and run off before they get caught.

Tom Wright (James Franco) and his wife, Anna (Kate Hudson), are living in London and have fallen into severe debt while renovating their family's home. They are trying to have a baby, but have been unsuccessful thus far. After their downstairs tenant doesn't respond to their requests to keep the noise down, the couple go downstairs to discover their neighbor, Ben, is dead. The official cause of death is ruled by the police a heroin overdose. While cleaning the apartment, the Wrights discover £220,000 above a loose ceiling tile. They debate what to do with the money, as well as the remainder of Ben's things. After some time, Tom spends some money paying off the house they were renovating, and Anna spends some money to go to a fertility clinic. Meanwhile, Detective Halden (Tom Wilkinson) suspects that the Wrights are withholding information. He begins tracking their movements, as he seems to believe Ben's death is connected to his daughter's.

A man is shown being threatened by Jack Witkowski to reveal the location of his cousin, Ben. As soon as he reveals this, he is killed. Witkowski and his partner, Marshall, break into Ben's old apartment to look for the money, but are unsuccessful. Khan approaches Tom Wright about his money, claiming that Tom must choose a side, his or Jack Witkowski's. Tom refuses to choose a side and when he arrives home, Witkowski is waiting for him. Witkowski tortures Tom, but Tom refuses to give up the location of the money. Detective Halden arrives, and Witkowski and his partner run off. Halden tells the Wrights he wants to use them as bait, off the books, to arrest Witkowski, as Witkowski has inside connections with law enforcement.

The Wrights schedule a money drop with Witkowski, and then meet with Detective Halden and Khan separately to devise a plan. During the drop, Witkowski realises Halden is a cop, and Marshall shoots Halden. The Wrights run off with the money and Khan tells them they are on their own, as he believes he has been played. Halden is shown recovering in the hospital, as he was wearing a bulletproof vest.

Witkowski and his men take Anna's friend, Sarah (Anna Friel), and her baby, Julian, hostage. The Wrights agree to meet Witkowski at the house the Wrights were renovating, where they've been hiding. The Wrights inform Halden of the plan and rig the house in preparation for their meeting. Witkowski falls through the floor, and Tom puts nails through Marshall's feet. Khan and his men arrive at the house, to the surprise of everyone. Halden arrives at the house and kills one of Khan's men with his car as Sarah and her baby escape, but Halden is knocked unconscious. A game of cat and mouse ensues throughout the house between Khan and his men, Witkowski and Marshall, and the Wrights. Khan's other man is killed by Tom, and Khan kills Witkowski. Tom fights with Khan, who is about to kill Tom when a shot from Marshall, directed at them both, kills Khan. Anna is nearly choked to death by Marshall until a revived Halden enters the house and shoots Marshall dead. The movie ends with the house burning to the ground, the Wrights moving out of their apartment, and Anna telling Tom that she is pregnant.

Cast[edit]

Production[edit]

Principal photography began on June 1, 2013, at Shepperton Studios and also filmed in London.[3]

Reception[edit]

Good People holds a 12% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 33 reviews, with an average rating of 4.35/10.[6] On Metacritic, the film has a score of 42 out of 100, based on 11 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[7] The Hollywood Reporter said about the film that "This is why bad things happen",[8] while Guy Lodge of the Variety Magazine criticized James Franco and Kate Hudson for their roles saying that "[they] are uncharacteristically muted in this watchable but wholly unsurprising London crime caper".[9] David Hughes of Empire, gave Good People 2 out of 5 and saying in his closing comments "Tom and Anna are so thinly sketched that by the time the painfully slow set-up starts to pay off, we no longer care who does what to whom, or why".[10]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "GOOD PEOPLE (15)". British Board of Film Classification. December 15, 2014. Retrieved March 17, 2021.
  2. ^ a b "Good People (2014)". The Numbers. Nash Information Services, LLC. Retrieved March 17, 2021.
  3. ^ a b "Filming begins on Good People". Screen Daily. June 3, 2013. Retrieved March 17, 2021.
  4. ^ Fleming, Mike (April 22, 2013). "James Franco, Kate Hudson, Omar Sy Set For Millennium Films' 'Good People'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 17, 2021.
  5. ^ Aguilera, Leanne (June 25, 2014). "EXCLUSIVE: First Look at James Franco and Kate Hudson's Killer New Movie, 'Good People'". Entertainment Tonight. Retrieved March 17, 2021.
  6. ^ "Good People (2014)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Retrieved March 17, 2021.
  7. ^ "Good People Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved March 17, 2021.
  8. ^ "'Good People': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. September 24, 2014. Retrieved March 17, 2021.
  9. ^ Lodge, Guy (September 26, 2014). "Film Review: 'Good People'". Variety. Retrieved March 17, 2021.
  10. ^ "Good People". Empire. Archived from the original on September 19, 2015.

External links[edit]

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