Payback

I've always liked Mel Gibson and in this tough thriller, where he plays an action hero, he simply fits. The whole thing is stylized, as if it was almost shot based on a comic book. It was based on a novel, but the visual side was managed well. It's properly tough, the story is not completely stupid, on the contrary, it's quite elaborate. I liked this movie once and nothing has changed even after some time. (07/05/2014)

No more Mr. Nice Guy. A bombastic neo-noir where the cast is unforgettable and on point. Brilliant one-liners and a perfectly constructed ending (one of the few cases where the studio’s intervention improved the movie, which I can say after watching Helgeland’s director cut Payback: Straight Up – that one simply seemed weaker…) I will always enjoy revisiting this one! This is one of the films you always want to come back to. Five stars! (25/04/2018)

A rakish, hardheaded gangster played by Mel Gibson, the pretty blonde he cares about, a couple of dumb corrupt cops, a pile of violence, some sado-masochism and, mainly, a dozen goons whose “coolness” increases as they gradually get to know each other, from the biggest bungler to the biggest, toughest and most uncompromising boss. And all of this wrapped up in nostalgic, grey-blue camera filters and hellishly black humour. A delicious treat! (10/08/2002)

When it premiered, I gave Payback 4 stars and I must admit with a certain blush that it charmed me in its own way - and I am not a fan of the genre or even Mel Gibson. It is a film made with ease and it is straightforward, simple, genre-pure, and a cool ride where the pace never slackens and the usual clichés are presented tastefully and with a pervasive sense of irony. On the other hand, as the years went by and I read the book, it impressed me much more with its darkness, complexity, and ambiguity. Besides, it is impossible not to notice how the film approaches the character of the violent, murderous, and thieving protagonist, presenting him to the viewer as a likable rascal. This story is hard to believe, and I left behind my teenage years when I would have identified with this portrayal a long time ago. Overall impression: 60%. (27/05/2020)

A stylish noir-gangster movie with a persuasive Mel Gibson in the lead role of a hardened thief, Porter. Helgeland managed to reproduce the exact atmosphere of most of Donald E. Westlake's books (Payback was based on "The Hunter" published under the pseudonym Richard Stark) and shows a world full of villains, junkies, hookers, corrupt cops, sadists and just plain idiots with whom the main character encounters. Accompanied by a sarcastic voice-over monologue, Porter slowly works his way to his seventy thousand dollars which was stolen from him by his partner Val and his wife. The way in which he eliminates all obstacles is simply cool, and you have to keep your fingers crossed for him even if you don't want to. After a while you don’t mind the plot’s predictability, and that you’ve seen this somewhere before, as you get carried away by a world that's as hard as scotch-soaked kidneys, but also damn relatable. My personal Top 20. (11/09/2006)