Today’s quick review: Source Code. Colter Stevens (Jake Gyllenhaal), a soldier recently deployed to Afghanistan, wakes up on a Chicago-bound train in the body of a stranger with no knowledge of how he got there. Shortly afterward, the train explodes, killing everyone on it. Back in his own body, Colter is given his orders: to relive the last 8 minutes of the stranger’s life over and over again until he can catch the culprit responsible for the bombing.
Source Code is a science fiction thriller with a minimalistic premise and solid writing. The mystery unfolds over several iterations of the same events as Colter pieces together the clues to the bomber’s identity. At the same time, he gathers information on his own circumstances, piecing together how he was given his mission and testing the boundaries of his 8-minute universe.
Source Code’s main draw is its skillful writing. The mystery unfolds well, with a steady drip of new information to keep the viewer hooked. The answers the movie gives are not perfect, but they are always interesting, and the writing has a clear endgame in mind. The strength of the plot is backed up by interesting clues, an impressive ending, and good performances all around.
Watch Source Code when you are looking for a better-than-average thriller with a sci-fi twist. Source Code takes mundane elements and mixes them with an unusual premise to form a surprisingly good thriller. The film is not without its quirks, from its short run time to one or two odd explanations, but its good core concept and high execution quality are enough to see it through. For a thriller with a similar sci-fi premise, check out Deja Vu.
7.5 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it the same for a creative premise and solid execution.