5/10

Idris Elba plays a murderous escaped convict who invades the home of Taraji P Henson and her two children in this edge of the seat thriller directed by Sam Miller. Miller does some things well in No Good Deed, but his efforts are ultimately a failing one that relies too much on things we have already seen in the “Don’t answer the front door” genre. The movie being uninspiring is the least of it’s worries however as the film clocks in at a measly 79 minutes. The run time serves as a double edge sword however, as it being short hurts the film from ever exploring the options that could make this film different. Yet, if it were any longer the film would drag from the rushed storytelling and out of nowhere twist ending that just isn’t enough to save it. Elba is absolutely incredible as Colin. He is someone who always brings a presence in his roles that take a character much further than they could ever go with a second choice. His dialogue is one that builds the tension between he and the person in front of him. There are times when i swear he looked at the camera and winked from the amount of fun he is having in this role. Elba himself is a tall and well built man, so he serves as an almost unstoppable antagonist to the much smaller Henson. She is alright as Terri, but nothing that shows us that spark that she has had in such films as Hustle and Flow and Smokin Aces. Her character is too naive in these sitations that it’s hard for the audience to ever relate to her let alone cheer for her. I wish her character would’ve struggled more against Elba, but it’s because of the extremely short run time that these scenes and the back and forth that goes on between them feel too rushed. Back on the subject of dialogue, the film suffers from roll your eyes moments that make you wonder if a 5th grader wrote it. Elba is a female abuser, but they give him this childish dialogue that will always give you a laugh first, fear second kind of attitude. The creepiness of Elba to the other people is laid on a little too thick. It made me exhaust in frustration every time this guy would say something that should’ve easily been a warning sign and these opposites went about their day like he isn’t to be taken too seriously. It’s sad to think that the bimbo of the movie (Played by Leslie Bibb) is the one who sees through the lies and terrifying nature of this character because it shows that she is possibly the smartest person in the film. I wasn’t NOT entertained in this film, but there was too much wrong in it and that is what will ultimately lead to it’s fate of being never remembered two months down the line. The logic is just too dumbfounding for me to be anything but disappointed. Why did she let this man in her house? Why is there a board of officers even thinking about letting this man out after he murdered three different women for two different stints in jail? It did keep my attention, but that was most entirely to Idris Elba and the thought of what he will do next. The score is done average but appropriately for those jumps and screams out of nowhere. I can’t recommend this film as anything but a DVD rental. But even with you giving these actors and actresses some of your money, “No Good Deed” will ever go unpunished when it comes to the way you feel by the film’s end. In a society where The Fast and Furious movies are constantly breaking box office numbers, No Good Deed is far too unbelievable for a society that breeds the impossible.