Mike Sullivan works as a hit man for crime boss John Rooney. Sullivan views Rooney as a father figure, however after his son is witness to a killing, Mike Sullivan finds himself on the run in attempt to save the life of his son and at the same time looking for revenge on those who wronged him.
Sam Mendes's 2002 follow-up to American Beauty finds him every bit as adept, arty, and Oscar hungry.
– Jonathan Rosenbaum,
Chicago Reader,
17 Apr 2007
fresh:
While crisply edited and unindulgent, Mendes' work is gratifyingly old-school in its rejection of modern-day stylistic agitation, the better to achieve a slow but inexorable build to its climax.
– Todd McCarthy,
Variety,
8 Aug 2008
fresh:
What makes the movie pay off is moving pictures of real action and of intimate scenes between man and boy that are all the more moving for being understated.
– Joe Morgenstern,
Wall Street Journal,
14 Apr 2013
rotten:
Visually, the picture is all of a piece, but it's a self-conscious piece of work -- all dark-toned academic classicism.
– David Denby,
New Yorker,
14 Apr 2013
fresh:
So is Perdition still a must-see? No question. But it's tough to fuss about it much when a picture is this fussy.