The Samaritan

A Sam Jackson movie where he doesn’t yell half his lines at the top of his voice? That is reason enough to watch this entertaining film from director David Weaver (Century Hotel). In the film, Jackson plays a smalltime grafter named Foley who, after spending almost two decades in prison, is anxious to spend the rest of his life doing normal. There are people in the outside world, however, who have different plans for Foley and it isn’t too long before he has to resort to his old ways to keep himself alive. The Samaritan has all the right ingredients for being a decent heist movie,, and Weaver knows how to pace the reveals in a way that keeps you interested to see what will happen next. Luke Kirby is effective as the young punk who draws Filey back into the game, and Ruth Negga is haunting as the young woman who weaves her spell on Foley as the film progresses. Good as they are, this is still a Samuel Jackson film and it’s his performance that makes the film a nail biter to the end.