Fractured (2019) (4 Stars)

This is a Netflix original film, made in 2019. I regret not having been able to see it on the big screen, but the bottom line is that a good film is a good film. Since March I haven't been able to see any films on the big screen anyway. The last film I watched in the cinema was "Ip Man 4" on 10th March in UFA-Palast Stuttgart. Three days later the city of Stuttgart ordered all cinemas to close immediately to prevent the spread of Coronavirus. (This was a local measure. Cinemas in the surrounding towns didn't close until a week later).

Now it's been announced that all cinemas throughout Baden-Württemberg, including Stuttgart, are allowed to re-open on Thursday 4th June, as long as certain conditions are upheld to protect their guests. I don't know the exact conditions, but one thing I know is that UFA-Palast won't be re-opening. The owners announced this morning that they're in financial difficulties because of the two month closure. They're not attempting to save their cinema, they're giving up. So far no other company has expressed any interest in taking over the cinema. That's a real shame, and it's harmful to Stuttgart's film fans. It was the biggest cinema in Stuttgart, with 13 screens and 4300 seats. It specialised in showing blockbusters, the big American films, but it was the only cinema in Stuttgart that showed "Ip Man 4".

But now let's get back to "Fractured"...

Ray Monroe is driving home with his wife and five-year-old daughter Peri after an unpleasant Thanksgiving meal with his parents-in-law. People are supposed to be thankful at this time of year, but it doesn't always work out that way. Arguments can happen any time of year. Ray suggests that they celebrate again when they get home, just the three of them.

They stop at a gas station so that Peri can use the rest room. When Peri is returning to the car she's threatened by a dog. She backs away and falls into a pit. Ray tries to stop her and falls in as well, banging his head and falling unconscious. A few minutes later his wife wakes him. He's unharmed, apart from a few small cuts, but Peri has broken her arm, so he drives her to a small hospital that they passed on the way.

This is where the film begins to get weird. Despite being in an isolated location, the emergency room is full of patients, with ambulances arriving regularly. There's a long wait before Peri can be checked in. Eventually, Peri is sent for a CAT scan to check for any signs of internal head injury. Only one person is allowed to accompany her into the theatre, so Ray goes back to wait in reception while his wife goes in with his daughter.

Ray falls asleep and sleeps for hours. When he wakes up and inquires about his daughter, he's told that there's no record of her being checked in. It's a different shift, so nobody has seen him or his family. When he finally finds a nurse he spoke to who's on a double shift, she says she remembers him, but not his wife and daughter. Ray becomes frustrated and angry, as any man would under such circumstances, so the hospital security guards eject him. He sees two police officers outside and asks them for help. At first they assist him, but they lose their patience with him when all the evidence points against him.

This is a chilling psychological thriller. It's easy to relate to Ray. How would you react if this happened to you?

The film hasn't been released on disc and can only be watched on Netflix.