Paranoia

I’m going to tell you right here why Paranoia didn’t succeed at the box office. It is because accompanying big names like Harrison Ford, Gary Oldman and Liam Hemsworth was a title that no one in the world associated with this movie. Boring titles are an epidemic that is costing studios a lot of money at the box office. What would I have called the movie? Han Solo vs. Sirius Black or Starwarts (Star Wars + Hogwarts). Okay enough of this tangent. Paranoia (ugh) has a young tech employee (Hemsworth) caught up in a chess game between old rival big business executives (Ford and Oldman).

The plot is compelling from start to finish. Hemsworth character is likeable while showing enough flaws to appear authentic. Then when Ford and Oldman are on screen they command the scenes in the way one would expect them to. The other lead, Amber Heard, who plays Hemsworth love interest, is more than arm candy too. The character is presented as intelligent and well-rounded even if she flips flops from skanky mean person to likeable independent woman awfully quickly. The technology being discussed is vague enough to avoid dull details but believable enough for the corporate espionage going on. The best way to describe the film is solid and enjoyable, but the title isn’t the only problem.

There is very little that happens in the movie that can be considered memorable. Maybe some exchanges with the legendary lead actors, but ultimately they fall way flat compared to their historic roles. Instead the movie is a talker that spends most of its time in offices. We learn about corporate security, parties in the Hamptons and other things that have been done before. If you’re looking for some relatively smart entertainment, Paranoia fits, but otherwise you won’t remember it in a few weeks.

Each film earns either zero, a half or a full arrow in five categories. The categories are Acting, Writing/Directing, Emotion, Innovation and Overall Impression. The arrows are added up to equal the full score.