The title and poster for The Infernal Machine, featuring the face of lead star Guy Pearce lined by fire, could be mistaken for an apocalyptic sci-fi movie. Instead, it’s an ambitious but flawed exploration of paranoia and infamy.
Pearce plays Bruce Cogburn, a reclusive author who has been off the map since his best-selling book, The Infernal Machine, inspired a deadly shooting. He begins receiving unsettling letters from an obsessive fan who Cogburn fears could be another potential danger.
Starting as a slow-burn modern western, the first half is a solid character piece that wisely allows Pearce to do most of the work, skillfully conveying the writer’s guilt and insecurity.
His emotions speak louder than the limited script and he even manages a passable Yorkshire accent. However, things progress rapidly and in directions that don’t always make sense, leading to a final act that undoes a lot of the early promise.
The cast is populated by names familiar from a few years ago. Alice Eve, who was a hot commodity in the early 2010s before landing a string of flops, is likeable as local cop Laura, while Magic Mike star Alex Pettyfer has all the right moves as a face from the past.
The Infernal Machine is a sparse psychological tussle that feels like it’s from another decade, starting strongly but losing steam long before the final chapter.
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