No Good Deed 2014

Christy Lemire, ChristyLemire.com: No Good Deed practically fetishizes the brutality Idris Elba's character inflicts on a number of women. It sexualizes him as a killing machine. It wants us to salivate over him and tremble before him simultaneously. Read more

Wesley Morris, Grantland: There should be something more exhilarating about the violent and hopeful epilogue finale than there is. Read more

Dennis Harvey, Variety: Despite competent performances and packaging, dialogue and situations in Aimee Lagos' script are too routine to create much excitement. Read more

Jesse Hassenger, AV Club: There aren't really any characters, at least none with any traits beyond "good" and "bad." Read more

Lindsey Bahr, Entertainment Weekly: With performers as strong as Henson and Elba, and the guidance of director Sam Miller, who's worked with Elba in a handful of Luther episodes, it should have yielded more. The trite third act reveal only further sours the wasted potential. Read more

Frank Scheck, Hollywood Reporter: This one certainly doesn't go unpunished, at least for the audience. Read more

Gary Goldstein, Los Angeles Times: It's a little dumb (OK, maybe more than a little), but "No Good Deed" is an otherwise brisk, efficient thriller that won't punish audiences who drop in. Read more

Rafer Guzman, Newsday: The final plot twist is about as fiendishly clever as an episode of General Hospital. Is that a spoiler? You're welcome. Read more

Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News: No Good Deed is an example of the worst kind of exploitative thriller. Read more

Ben Kenigsberg, New York Times: An inert "Cape Fear" rehash that can't seem to choose its favorite contrivance. Read more

Inkoo Kang, TheWrap: "it's entirely because of Henson's innate likability and charm that this film works at all." Read more

Bilge Ebiri, New York Magazine/Vulture: It's certainly not good. But it's not entirely dire. Read more

Jen Chaney, Washington Post: A few scenes succeed in generating legitimate tension, but this movie isn't so much a nail-biter as a very occasional hangnail-chewer. Read more