"Profile" is the newest thriller by Timur Bekmambetov, director of "Wanted" and "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter." However, I think it goes without saying that "Profile" is completely unlike either of those films. Here, Timur helms a story that unfolds in the same style as "Unfriended" or "Searching," in that the movie takes place entirely within a computer screen. I myself am a fan of this type of gimmick, so I was looking forward to this film, especially since it was foregoing supernatural horror and setting its anchor into more realistic ground.
"Profile" is about a journalist, played by the gorgeous Valene Kane, who decides that she wants to infiltrate the online propaganda channels of the so-called Islamic State (thank you IMDb for that spoiler-free synopsis!). And, in typical thriller fare, she decides that the best way to do this would be to pose as a new convert to Islam and get in touch with a real ISIS recruiter. Dangerous? Yes. Stupid? Most definitely. But is it thrilling? At points.
The biggest downfall of "Profile" is in it's promise - let's visit the IMDb synopsis again: An undercover British journalist infiltrates the online propaganda channels of the so-called Islamic State, only to be sucked in by her recruiter. The premise of a journalist starting to believe the insidious lies of a terrorist organization sounds incredibly riveting; the trouble is, in order for the audience to be engaged, the movie has to feel believable - "Profile" does not. At no point did I genuinely believe that Valene's character, Amy, was genuinely falling for ISIS' recruiting tactics, or for her recruiter. And as the movie continues and shows Amy show expressing sympathy toward her recruiter, Bilel, played by Shazad Latif, it simply doesn't feel natural. In their Skype conversations, Bilel tells Amy that he has killed dozens of people - he shares ISIS executions on his Facebook profile; by all intents and purposes, Bilel is a psychopath. So how is Amy allowing herself to get sucked in? The answer, to me, was unclear.
Sure, they share some intimate details about their lives, and they have what can be described as virtual dates together, but none of it feels like it would be enough to get Amy to legitimately desire to join the terrorist organization. However, in the film, it somehow is, and as you witness Amy spiral deeper and deeper down the rabbit hole, you'll only find yourself confused and unconvinced.
Additionally, I found a large majority of this movie to be unexciting. Sure, the acting was actually really good, especially by Valene, who plays both the meek, pretend new convert to Islam and the tenacious journalist very well (and did I mention how gorgeous she is?) But, even though the performances are watchable, the movie feels very bland and stale. When things start picking up in the last 20 minutes, yes, the film becomes genuinely thrilling - my heart rate actually did pick up at points. However, while exciting, the finale still manages to fall flat due to the fact that it occurs so late in the film, with so little screen time left to satisfyingly wrap everything up.
"Profile" is a very mixed bad for me. On one hand, the movie didn't necessarily bore me, it just failed to engage me. But on the other hand, the climax is incredibly thrilling, and will be sure to have you on the edge of your seat. In my opinion, if you have any interest at all in this film, you should see it. You certainly won't hate it, but you may not love it. Either way, you'll find some modicum of enjoyment, and toward the end, you'll get the adrenaline rush you were hoping for.
"Profile" is about a journalist, played by the gorgeous Valene Kane, who decides that she wants to infiltrate the online propaganda channels of the so-called Islamic State (thank you IMDb for that spoiler-free synopsis!). And, in typical thriller fare, she decides that the best way to do this would be to pose as a new convert to Islam and get in touch with a real ISIS recruiter. Dangerous? Yes. Stupid? Most definitely. But is it thrilling? At points.
The biggest downfall of "Profile" is in it's promise - let's visit the IMDb synopsis again: An undercover British journalist infiltrates the online propaganda channels of the so-called Islamic State, only to be sucked in by her recruiter. The premise of a journalist starting to believe the insidious lies of a terrorist organization sounds incredibly riveting; the trouble is, in order for the audience to be engaged, the movie has to feel believable - "Profile" does not. At no point did I genuinely believe that Valene's character, Amy, was genuinely falling for ISIS' recruiting tactics, or for her recruiter. And as the movie continues and shows Amy show expressing sympathy toward her recruiter, Bilel, played by Shazad Latif, it simply doesn't feel natural. In their Skype conversations, Bilel tells Amy that he has killed dozens of people - he shares ISIS executions on his Facebook profile; by all intents and purposes, Bilel is a psychopath. So how is Amy allowing herself to get sucked in? The answer, to me, was unclear.
Sure, they share some intimate details about their lives, and they have what can be described as virtual dates together, but none of it feels like it would be enough to get Amy to legitimately desire to join the terrorist organization. However, in the film, it somehow is, and as you witness Amy spiral deeper and deeper down the rabbit hole, you'll only find yourself confused and unconvinced.
Additionally, I found a large majority of this movie to be unexciting. Sure, the acting was actually really good, especially by Valene, who plays both the meek, pretend new convert to Islam and the tenacious journalist very well (and did I mention how gorgeous she is?) But, even though the performances are watchable, the movie feels very bland and stale. When things start picking up in the last 20 minutes, yes, the film becomes genuinely thrilling - my heart rate actually did pick up at points. However, while exciting, the finale still manages to fall flat due to the fact that it occurs so late in the film, with so little screen time left to satisfyingly wrap everything up.
"Profile" is a very mixed bad for me. On one hand, the movie didn't necessarily bore me, it just failed to engage me. But on the other hand, the climax is incredibly thrilling, and will be sure to have you on the edge of your seat. In my opinion, if you have any interest at all in this film, you should see it. You certainly won't hate it, but you may not love it. Either way, you'll find some modicum of enjoyment, and toward the end, you'll get the adrenaline rush you were hoping for.