Reviewed by Neil Davey
Stars Stellan Skarsgard, Melissa George, Selma Blair, Ashley Walters,
John Sharian, Barbara Adair, Paul Kaye, Peter Ballance, Lauren Hood | Written by Clive Bradley
UK certification 18 | UK RRP £15.99 | DVD Region 2 | Runtime 104 minutes | Directed by Tom Shankland
The unfortunately named Waz — insert own toilet gag here — was always going to suffer with a title like that. Yes, yes, I know: it's actually W Delta Z, and it's all to do with some mathematic principle of evolutionary theory, but give me a break here. If you don't take the, er, waz out of the title, what are you left with? Aside from the fact that it's a virtual copy of Se7en — even down to the mathematic symbol in the title?
It is, of course, a far lesser experience than Fincher's modern classic — a Thr3e perhaps. While Fincher added depth and considerable nastiness to a predictable genre and produced a clever work of twisted art, British director Tom Shankland adds the science and ups the viciousness and produces ... a run-of-the-mill slasher movie, albeit one with grislier-than-usual slayings and a deeply pretentious edge. And, in the usually reliable Stellan Skarsgard's central performance, the sort of eye-popping OTT tics and shouting that's hard to sit through, even if it is the style that's about to win Daniel Day-Lewis a hugely unjustified Oscar.
Skarsgard is Argo, a jaded detective investigating a series of bizarre and bizarrely cruel murders. As more bodies are found, all carved with the symbols of the titular theorem, a pattern is slowly revealed. There's a moral edge to these murders, a killer out for revenge and, if Argo and his rookie assistant Westcott (George) have got things right, more victims to come. As events unfold, there are a couple of decent twists, but it's hard to celebrate something that feels such a blatant rip-off of a far better film. Shankland has clearly got some talent, so why waste it making this?
EXTRAS *** text Deleted scenes (which can be watched with or without commentary); interviews with Shankland, Bradley and producer James Richardson; a making-of featurette; a "torture" featurette (all about the make-up and special effects) and the online trailer.