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'{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2016}} {{Infobox film | name = Survivor | image = Survivor poster.jpg | caption = Theatrical release poster | director = [[James McTeigue]] | producer = {{plainlist| * [[Charles Winkler]] * [[Irwin Winkler]] * Matt O'Toole * Les Weldon }} | writer = [[Philip Shelby]] | starring = {{plainlist| * [[Milla Jovovich]] * [[Pierce Brosnan]] * [[Angela Bassett]] * [[Roger Rees]] * [[Antonia Thomas]] * [[James D'Arcy]] * [[Frances de la Tour]] * [[Genevieve O'Reilly]] * [[Dylan McDermott]] * [[Robert Forster]] }} | music = [[Ilan Eshkeri]] | cinematography = Danny Ruhlmann | editing = Kate Baird | studio = [[Nu Image|Millennium Films]]<br/>Chartoff-Winkler Productions | distributor = [[Alchemy (company)|Alchemy]] | released = {{Film date|2015|5|29|United States|2015|6|5|United Kingdom}} | runtime = 96 minutes | country = United States<br /> United Kingdom | language = English | budget = $20&nbsp;million<ref>{{cite web|title=Review: 'Survivor' Starring Milla Jovovich & Pierce Brosnan|url=https://www.indiewire.com/2015/05/review-survivor-starring-milla-jovovich-pierce-brosnan-263425/|website=indiewire.com|publisher=IndieWire|language=en}}</ref> | gross = $3,839,100<ref name="BoxOfficeMojo">{{cite web |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt3247714/?ref_=bo_se_r_1|title=Survivor (2015) |website=BoxOfficeMojo |access-date=October 1, 2020}}</ref> }} '''''Survivor''''' is a 2015 British-American [[action film|action]] [[spy film|spy]] [[thriller film]] directed by [[James McTeigue]]<ref name=wwd14>{{cite web | url=http://www.wwd.com/fashion-news/fashion-scoops/security-zone-7503481?src=nl/mornReport/20140224 | title=Milla Jovovich Touches Down in Milan | website=wwd.com | date=February 24, 2014 | access-date=February 24, 2014 | author=Zargani, Luisa}}</ref> and written by Philip Shelby. The film stars [[Milla Jovovich]], [[Pierce Brosnan]], [[Robert Forster]], [[Angela Bassett]], [[Roger Rees]], [[Antonia Thomas]], [[James D'Arcy]], [[Frances de la Tour]], [[Genevieve O'Reilly]], and [[Dylan McDermott]].<ref name="shootscreendaily" /> The film was released theatrically in the United Kingdom on June 5, 2015, and [[direct-to-video]] in the United States on June 23, 2015.<ref name=deadline15>{{cite news|last=D'Alessandro |first=Anthony |title='Survivor' Trailer: Milla Jovovich Is Targeted By Pierce Brosnan's Assassin|url=https://deadline.com/2015/04/milla-jovovich-pierce-brosnan-survivor-trailer-james-bond-1201403496/|access-date=September 13, 2015 |website=deadline.com | date=January 20, 2014}}</ref> == Plot == Johnny Talbot (Paddy Wallace), an American soldier serving in Afghanistan, is captured by terrorists and forced to witness the execution of his comrade, Ray ([[Parker Sawyers]]). Kate Abbott ([[Milla Jovovich]]) is a [[Diplomatic Security Service]] agent working for the [[Embassy of the United States, London|American Embassy]] in London, who began working in the government after most of her friends were killed in [[9/11]]. While she is implementing new, more stringent rules for visa applications of potential terrorist suspects, most of her team are killed while at a restaurant for the birthday of their superior, Bill Talbot ([[Robert Forster]]). Bill is Johnny's father, and is being blackmailed under threat of Johnny's death. He delayed attending the party to return to his desk to delete records of the visas he has approved for terrorists entering the United States. Kate survives the bombing when she leaves the restaurant to get a last-minute present for Bill. An investigation into the attack reveals that the bomb has traces of [[chromium]], leading her superior at the embassy, Sam Parker ([[Dylan McDermott]]), to deduce that the perpetrator was the 'Watchmaker' ([[Pierce Brosnan]]), one of the world's most wanted killers, known for his precision work, who detonated a bomb with similar traces in Paris two years earlier. Nobody knows the Watchmaker's appearance, as he has had lots of plastic surgery over the years. Kate's subsequent attempts to find out the cause of the explosion reveal that Bill was being blackmailed to let certain visa applicants through after Johnny's capture, and the man behind the attack was indeed the Watchmaker. Her efforts uncover a plan to detonate another bomb at [[Times Square]] in New York City during the New Year's Eve celebrations. As she carries out her own investigation, she is attacked by Bill, unintentionally killing him in self-defense. She is later classified, through witnesses and footage, as a suspect for the attacks by the others at the embassy and even the British TV Network, forcing her to sneak back into the embassy to create false passports for herself to follow the Watchmaker to New York, with support from Sam and her friend Sally ([[Frances de la Tour]]), the only two people who believe in her innocence. Meanwhile, the Watchmaker uses a [[Steyr HS .50]] cal sniper rifle to fire an [[Incendiary ammunition|incendiary round]] into a sphere filled with explosive gas atop a vacant block of apartments in [[London Borough of Tower Hamlets|Tower Hamlets]]. The building is devastated. Later, the Watchmaker reveals that he is aware that his client's purpose for the Times Square attack is not terrorism but financial. He intends to bet against the stock market and make millions when the stock market reopens. The Watchmaker demands half the profits, threatening to cancel the attack, and the client agrees. The Watchmaker leaves for New York. Dr Emil Balan ([[Roger Rees]]), is motivated to avenge his late wife's death when her visa to the U.S. was delayed and she didn't receive emergency medical treatment in time. In New York, he coordinates filling the New Year's Eve ball with explosive gas. The Watchmaker's job is to shoot the sphere and ignite the gas. Balan meets the Watchmaker on top of a high rise a few blocks from Times Square. The Watchmaker kills Balan, removing any connection back to him. Kate deduces the plot and finds the Watchmaker, moments away from triggering the bomb. After a struggle, she manages to throw the Watchmaker off the side of the building. He falls to his death on the stroke of midnight. Her suspicion about Balan is vindicated and her name is cleared. She receives a call from Sam, who has recovered from recent injuries, congratulating her. == Cast == * [[Milla Jovovich]] as Katherine "Kate" Abbott, a [[Diplomatic Security Service|DSS]]/[[United States Foreign Service|Foreign Service]] officer at the US Embassy in London. * [[Pierce Brosnan]] as Nash / "The Watchmaker", a notorious assassin. * [[Angela Bassett]] as Maureen Crane, the [[United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom]]. * [[Roger Rees]] as Dr. Emil Balan, a scientist specialising in combustible gases. This was Rees’s final role. * [[Antonia Thomas]] as Naomi Rosenbaum, a Foreign Service officer at the US Embassy in London and Kate's colleague. * [[James D'Arcy]] as Inspector Paul Anderson, a [[Counter Terrorism Command]] officer in the [[Metropolitan Police Service]]. * [[Frances de la Tour]] as Sally, the analyst of the US Embassy in London and Abbott's friend. * [[Dylan McDermott]] as Sam Parker, Abbott's superior at the US Embassy in London. * [[Robert Forster]] as Bill Talbot, a senior [[United States Foreign Service]] officer at the US Embassy in London. * [[Genevieve O'Reilly]] as Lisa Carr, a photographer and close friend of Abbott. * [[Regé-Jean Page]] as Robert Purvell, a Foreign Service officer at the US Embassy in London. * [[Jing Lusi]] as Joyce Su, a Foreign Service officer at the US Embassy in London. * Paddy Wallace as Johnny Talbot, Bill Talbot’s son, a US soldier * [[Parker Sawyers]] as Ray, a US soldier * [[Sean Teale]] as Alvin Murdoch, a Foreign Service officer at the US Embassy in London. == Production == The [[principal photography]] of the film ''Survivor'' began on January 20, 2014 in London.<ref name=wwd14/><ref name=shootscreendaily>{{cite web|last=Rosser|first=Michael|title=James McTeigue's Survivor begins shoot|url=http://www.screendaily.com/news/james-mcteigues-survivor-begins-shoot/5065534.article?referrer=RSS|date=January 20, 2014|website=screendaily.com|access-date=January 21, 2014}}</ref><ref name=filmingdarkhorizons>{{cite web|last=Franklin|first=Garth|title=McTeigue's 'Survivor' Begins Filming in UK|url=http://www.darkhorizons.com/news/30509/mcteigue-s-survivor-begins-filming-in-uk|archive-url=https://archive.is/20140121221202/http://www.darkhorizons.com/news/30509/mcteigue-s-survivor-begins-filming-in-uk|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 21, 2014|access-date=January 21, 2014|website=darkhorizons.com|date=January 21, 2014}}</ref> Shooting took place in London for five weeks before production moved to [[Sofia]], [[Bulgaria]] for three weeks.<ref>{{cite web|last=Daniels|first=Nia|title=Milla Jovovich in London to shoot Survivor|url=http://www.kftv.com/news/2014/01/21/Milla-Jovovich-in-London-to-shoot-Survivor|access-date=January 21, 2014|website=kftv.com|date=January 21, 2014}}</ref> [[Emma Thompson]] was cast and appeared in promotional material for the film, but she pulled out at the last minute.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/jun/07/survivor-film-review-pierce-brosnan-milla-jovovich|title=Survivor review – you'll wish you hadn't made it to the end|access-date=January 3, 2016|website=The Guardian|date=June 7, 2015}}</ref> ==Theatrical release and home media release== Alchemy acquired the United States distribution rights to the film on March 20, 2015.<ref>{{cite web | last1=Hipes|first1=Patrick|title=James McTeigue Thriller 'Survivor' Lands at Alchemy|url=https://deadline.com/2015/03/survivor-movie-james-mcteigue-milla-jovovich-alchemy-1201396153/|access-date=March 23, 2015|website=deadline.com|date=March 20, 2015}}</ref> The film was given a [[limited release]] and a [[video on demand]] release in the United States on May 29, 2015.<ref name=deadline15/> [[Lionsgate]] released the film in the United Kingdom on June 5, 2015.<ref name=deadline15/> ''Survivor'' was released on DVD and Blu-ray in the US on June 23, 2015, and was released in Canada and other countries on July 7, 2015.<ref>{{cite web|title=Survivor|url=http://videoeta.com/movie/167784/survivor/|access-date=June 28, 2015|publisher=VideoETA.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Survivor|url=http://www.tribute.ca/movies/survivor/109042/|access-date=June 28, 2015|publisher=Tribute.ca}}</ref> ==Reception== ''Survivor'' received almost uniformly negative reviews from major reviewers. On [[review aggregator]] [[Rotten Tomatoes]], the film holds an approval rating of 8% based on 51 reviews, with an average rating of 3.65/10. The website's critics consensus reads: "Borrowing heavily from better films in service of a predictable story, ''Survivor'' will struggle to sustain the interest of even the most avid action thriller fans."<ref name=RottenTomatoes>Rotten Tomatoes staff (2015). "[https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/survivor_2015/ Survivor (2015)]", rottentomatoes.com. Retrieved May 24, 2020.</ref> [[IGN]] awarded ''Survivor'' 5 out of 10, saying "The film is particularly disappointing as McTeigue also directed ''[[V for Vendetta (film)|V for Vendetta]]'', a much sharper, much more intriguing, much more thought-provoking look at our post-9/11 world."<ref>Lasser, Josh (2015). "[https://www.ign.com/articles/2015/05/28/survivor-review-2 Movie review: Survivor Review]", IGN, May 28, 2015. Retrieved September 13, 2015. Quote: "Jovovich is generally solid in the role… More hamstrung than Jovovich is Pierce Brosnan… Angela Bassett, Robert Forster, James D'Arcy, and Roger Rees are all similarly constrained."</ref> As of September 2015, the film had a score 26 out of 100 from 11 critics on Metacritic, with the highest coming in from Roger Moore at Movie Nation and Peter Sobczynski of Roger Ebert (both at 50 points on a scale of 100).<ref>Metacritic staff (2015). "[https://www.metacritic.com/movie/survivor Survivor, Alchemy, Release Date: May 29, 2015]", Metacritic, May 29, 2015. Retrieved September 13, 2015.</ref><ref>Sobczynski, Peter (2015). "[https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/survivor-2015 Survivor]", RogerEbert.com, May 29, 2015. Retrieved September 13, 2015. Quote: "As you can probably surmise from just that brief plot recap, originality is not exactly one of the strong points of survivor—screenwriter Phillip Shelby has essentially given viewers a mash-up of any number of movies… The best thing about "Survivor" are the performances from Jovovich and Brosnan in the lead roles… Neither particularly good nor particularly bad, "Survivor" is the kind of film that one can safely put on the television while other stuff is going on without worry that important plot points will be missed along the way."</ref><ref>Roger Moore (2015). "[http://rogersmovienation.com/2015/05/27/movie-review-survivor-is-a-b-movie-thriller-that-kind-of-works/ Movie Review: “Survivor” is a B-movie thriller that kind of works]", Movie Nation, May 27, 2015. Retrieved September 13, 2015.</ref> The film received rare positive reviews—e.g., from the''[[The National (Abu Dhabi)|The National]]'' (Abu Dhabi).<ref>Newbould, Chris (2015). "[https://www.thenational.ae/arts-lifestyle/film/film-review-brosnan-and-jovovich-team-up-for-spy-action-thriller-survivor Film review: Brosnan and Jovovich team up for spy action-thriller Survivor]", The National, June 3, 2015. Retrieved September 13, 2015. Quote: "Survivor is 96 minutes of rip-roaring action, with heavyweight actors managing to paper over some of the plot holes with their performances. Watch without prejudice, and you’ll enjoy it.</ref> == References == {{Reflist|2}} == External links == * {{official website|http://survivormovie.com/}} * {{IMDb title|3247714}} * {{rottentomatoes|771415706}} * {{metacritic film|survivor}} {{James McTeigue}} [[Category:2015 films]] [[Category:2010s chase films]] [[Category:2010s crime thriller films]] [[Category:2010s spy thriller films]] [[Category:American chase films]] [[Category:American crime thriller films]] [[Category:American films]] [[Category:American spy thriller films]] [[Category:British chase films]] [[Category:British crime thriller films]] [[Category:British films]] [[Category:British spy thriller films]] [[Category:English-language films]] [[Category:Films directed by James McTeigue]] [[Category:Films about terrorism]] [[Category:Films produced by Irwin Winkler]] [[Category:Films set in Afghanistan]] [[Category:Films set in London]] [[Category:Films set in New York City]] [[Category:Films set on the London Underground]] [[Category:Films shot in Bulgaria]] [[Category:Films shot in London]] [[Category:Films set around New Year]] [[Category:Films about diplomats]]'