Twenty years ago today Shane Black's directorial debut received a standing ovation at the Cannes Film Festival. Unfortunately, a limited release meant that Kiss Kiss Bang Bang was not the blockbuster hit it should have been. Or as Robert Downey Jr. put it; it "tanked". What could have been the start of a series of adventures - imagine a trilogy of mysteries with Gay Perry and his two misfit associates - sadly drifted into obscurity. Anyway, by now you may wonder how I wound up here. Or maybe not. Maybe you wonder how silly putty picks shit up from comic books. The point is, I don't see another Goddamn narrator, so pipe down. I first became aware of Kiss Kiss Bang Bang when I read about it in a film magazine (probably Empire ). The article featured that hilarious image of Downey Jr.'s 'Harry Lockhart' dangling from the hand of a corpse. Said hand is protruding from a coffin caught on a traffic sign, which is attached to a bridge in Long Beach, California....
A former soldier begins a frantic search for her son when he inexplicably disappears inside the US Consulate in Frankfurt. Trouble is, the powers that be within the consulate either don't believe her, or are actively seeking to obstruct her. So she will have to fight to stay free long enough to find him. Exterritorial begins with a rather relatable and horrifying scenario; the disappearance of a child. Almost instantly the tension begins to crank up, as Sara (Jeanne Goursaud) - a veteran with PTSD - attempts to find her son in a place that is not only alien to her, it's inaccessible. Christian Zübert does a pretty good job of putting you on edge with a sense that something isn't quite right. Only it's unclear whether that something is with the consulate or with Sara, herself. Regardless, it's not long before she kicks into action, utilising her particular set of skills as she hunts for her son and those who took him in this Taken meets Die Hard scenario. Jeanne G...