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Trance
2013 101 min United Kingdom, United States of America R 18+
★6.9
Thriller, Crime, Mystery
Director: Danny Boyle
Trailers
Description
A violent gang enlists the help of a hypnotherapist in an attempt to locate a painting which somehow vanished in the middle of a heist.
Budget:
$20M
US Gross:
$2.33M
Worldwide:
$24.3M
Starring
James McAvoy
Actor
Rosario Dawson
Actor
Vincent Cassel
Actor
Awards
3 wins & 3 nominations total
Key opinion
Trance is a visually arresting, high-energy psychological thriller that prioritizes stylistic immersion and hypnotic atmosphere over traditional narrative logic. While most praise the lead performances and Danny Boyle's kinetic direction, viewers are divided on whether the complex plot twists represent a brilliant puzzle or a chaotic, incoherent mess.
| Direction | Danny Boyle’s kinetic, visually inventive direction creates a hypnotic atmosphere that successfully keeps the viewer engaged. | |
| Acting | James McAvoy delivers a nuanced, masterfully unpredictable performance that anchors the film’s shifting reality. | |
| Score | Rick Smith’s avant-garde, industrial score effectively enhances the film's tense and surreal, trance-like mood. | |
| Screenplay | The film’s reliance on complex, labyrinthine twists divides audiences; some find them brilliant and rewarding, while others find the narrative illogical and lacking in resolution. | |
| Acting | Opinions on Vincent Cassel's casting are split, with some admiring his portrayal of a complex antagonist and others finding him miscast. | |
| Theme | The film's heavy focus on a stylized, non-linear narrative leaves some viewers captivated by its aesthetic, while others feel the lack of a cohesive, grounded story makes the experience emotionally hollow. |