ReelBob: ‘Destroyer’ ★½

By Bob Bloom

“Destroyer” is an unappealing mess, distinguished only by a grubby and gritty performance by Nicole Kidman.

But even her turn as detective Erin Bell leaves you cold. Bell is a burnt-out shell of a human being; she’s unkempt and disheveled and looks like she has been sleepless for a year or more.

Early in her career, Bell was part of an undercover operation that went badly — and its consequences have been haunting her ever since.

When she learns the gang leader responsible for the tragedy has come out of hiding after many years, she tracks down the other members of his crew to learn his whereabouts.

Along the way, director Karyn Kusama takes us on an existential journey through Bell’s bleak past.

Because you have no inducement to care about most of the people with whom Bell interacts, you don’t watch “Destroyer” as much as slog through it.

They are low-lives who wheedle and lie and are mostly intimidated by and fearful of Bell — as well as their former boss.

An odor of unpleasantness permeates the entire movie, which is off-putting. Mostly everything about this movie is morally ugly and corrupt.

Even the notion of Kidman as a tough, uncompromising and brutal cop is not an incentive to sit through this drama. Watching Bell battle her demons to atone for her past is painful — yet boring, especially since Bell remains constant throughout. She is a brooding, mumbling, avenging angel — seeking revenge rather than justice.

Throughout, Bell’s face is a landscape of sorrow and regrets. Her eyes are lifeless; her body a punching bag. She is a traumatized and lost individual trying to claw her way out of the dark.

Yet, Kidman and her talent seem wasted because the movie cannot live up to her — or the concept’s — potential.

“Destroyer” feels overcooked as Kusama pushes her noir-like theme to its breaking point. After a while, you simply lose interest in where the movie is going.

And by the time of its big reveal, you really don’t care anymore about whether Bell earns redemption — or whatever she is pursuing.

The movie’s back-and-forth time structure takes you out of the mood and becomes repetitious and annoying.

The so-called “love story” between Bell and her undercover partner, Chris (Sebastian Stan), is underdeveloped and feels more like a plot device than a solid relationship.

Despite fully committing to her part, Kidman cannot elevate “Destroyer” above underwhelming. It is a depressing, impersonal endeavor that will leave you callous and unmoved.

I am a founding member of the Indiana Film Journalists Association. My reviews appear at ReelBob (reelbob.com) and Rottentomatoes (www.rottentomatoes.com). I also review Blu-rays and DVDs. I can be reached by email at bobbloomjc@gmail.com or on Twitter @ReelBobBloom. Links to my reviews can be found on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and LinkedIn.

DESTROYER 1½ stars out of 4 (R), violence, language, drug use, sexual content