Johannesburg, South Africa. For the past 12 months, low-level CIA operative Matt Weston (Ryan Reynolds) has been tasked with watching over a safe house -- i.e., a place to bring prisoners or witnesses to keep them out of danger. A bored and frustrated Matt throws a ball at the wall, complaining to his superiors about the lack of action. Enter the agency'd most notorious traitor, Tobin Frost (Denzel Washington), who abruptly turns himself in and lands in the interrogation room. Shortly thereafter, the house comes under siege and the two are ordered to go "off the grid." It’s a pulse-pounding opening act.
Still, the movie -- which features a distinctive grainy aesthetic -- recovers just in time for the adrenalized home stretch. When Reynolds gets beaten to a bloody pulp and languishes on a filthy wood floor, extreme close ups allow moviegoers to see the tears in his weary eyes and drops of blood in his two-day stubble. Washington goes out with more of a whimper, but no matter: Safe House is a safe bet (sorry, had to do it!) for bracing entertainment.
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