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Erase from memory: a review of the thriller "Hypnotic" starring Ben Affleck

Mon Jun 02 2025

Hypnotic: A Mind-Bending Thriller or a Cinematic Mirage?

Detective Danny Rourke (Ben Affleck) is haunted by the loss of his daughter (Hala Finley). His search leads him to a mysterious government organization with the power to control minds.

Ben Affleck as Danny Rourke in a still from

Ben Affleck as Danny Rourke in a still from “Hypnotic”

The Genesis of “Hypnotic”

The origins of “Hypnotic” can be traced back to the early 2000s. Robert Rodriguez, the creative force behind “From Dusk Till Dawn” and “Spy Kids,” had a script he considered “one of his favorites.” However, studios were hesitant to finance it. Fifteen years later, the script was rewritten, Ben Affleck, in a post-crisis phase, was brought on board, and crowdfunding was used to attract potential producers. One could call “Hypnotic” an indie film or a student project, but with a final budget exceeding $60 million and a complete lack of imagination, such a comparison would likely offend independent filmmakers. The project reeks of nostalgic fever and a complete disorientation in the cinematic landscape.

Ben Affleck as Danny Rourke in a still from

Ben Affleck as Danny Rourke in a still from “Hypnotic”

The Plot Unfolds

Texas detective Danny Rourke is unable to come to terms with the disappearance of his daughter, Minnie. She was abducted from a playground in a blink of an eye, and her body was never found. Some time later, his partner informs him of a potential lead, and Rourke encounters the antagonist, Lev Dellraine (William Fichtner). With a devilish grin and decades of villainous experience, Dellraine controls those around him with the power of his mind, inducing a trance. Danny discovers that he is resistant to hypnosis. With the help of a medium named Diana (Alice Braga), he sets out to discover the connection between these insane geniuses and his family, to separate lies from truth.

A Collage of Familiar Themes

The film’s banality stems from a production laziness that is striking even by today’s standards. The plot meticulously borrows snippets from every well-known science fiction project of the last 20 years, which is immediately recognizable and borders on intellectual property theft. It shamelessly dissects Nolan’s “Inception,” dices up “The Truman Show,” and spices things up with “X-Men,” achieving an effect akin to voluntary lobotomy. This criminal mixing of genres – from police noir to a family drama you might find on cable television – makes one question Rodriguez’s sobriety. From what was, without the slightest respect for its predecessors, he sculpts a crumbling avatar, overloaded even within its usually comfortable hour and a half runtime.

Ben Affleck as Danny Rourke in a still from

Ben Affleck as Danny Rourke in a still from “Hypnotic”

Performances and Characters

Despite his potential immunity to hypnosis, Danny seems to be in a state of perpetual slumber. Somnambulistically navigating through schematic labyrinths and superficial constructs, Affleck is extraordinarily dull and unemotional, both for himself and the audience. Jennifer Lopez, Affleck’s wife, delivered a far more convincing quest to save a child in the recent film “The Mother,” while Affleck embodies a lost chatbot. Alice Braga’s character’s dual nature gets stuck halfway to its destination; Fichtner and Jackie Earle Haley, who briefly appears, serve as disposable cardboard decorations.

Rodriguez’s Trajectory

Since the 1990s, Rodriguez’s career has undergone many twists and turns, offering both questionable and subsequently cult-classic decisions. The man who directed the hellish classic “The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl” has already left his mark and digital footprint, and his laurels are secured. For such a modest premise and meager execution, “Hypnotic” is irritating in its high level of self-importance, reducing all efforts to zero and forcing one to forget about its existence immediately after viewing. As practice has shown, some indie films are better left unmade.