EDGE OF DARKNESS movie review

by Rick Grant
In one of his best performances to date, Mel Gibson returns to the screen after an eight year hiatus. Gibson stars as veteran Boston Homicide Detective, Thomas Craven who came up through the ranks as a tough cop with a high conviction record.
The picture opens with Det. Craven getting a rare visit from his daughter Emma, (Bojana Novakovic) an MIT graduate who has been working at a big private lab as a nuclear scientist. Since the scenario never explains what happened to Det. Craven’s wife, viewers can only guess at her absence.
The script is dialogue and character driven, spinning a dark tale of corporate machinations, deep coverup, and conspiracy involving a secret corporate nuclear facility, the CEO of which will do anything, including hiring a hit-man, to protect his operation.
Det. Craven has only a few minutes with his daughter, Emma, when they open the front door and she is blown away by a shotgun blast to the chest and killed instantly. The shooter yells Craven and drives away. Det. Craven is shocked by the horror of the murder, which takes away the only thing in life he cares about, his precious daughter.
At first, Det. Craven and his colleagues at the station think he was the target. So the investigation heads in that direction. But soon, it becomes apparent that Emma was the target for her work to expose the corporate secrets at the lab.
Det. Craven is given rare leeway to investigate the case at his own insistence. Normally, he would have been barred from the investigation because of his close emotional connection to the victim.
Raging with revenge, Det. Craven delves into his daughter’s life with his years of investigative skill. He meets her boyfriend who is terrified that he will be next on the corporate security hit list. Soon, Det. Craven realizes he is dealing with trained black ops professional assassins who are tying up loose ends. They’re right behind him, taking out his witnesses.
During Det. Craven’s investigation he discovers that Emma had been purposely radiated, poisoned by radioactive particles in her food or drink. He finds her Geiger counter and discovers the hair he chopped from her body is radioactive.
Director Martin Campbell armed with the well written script, uses closeups, and static scenes, letting the actors uttering the dialogue tell the story. He played down the action, but there are some shocking gun battles and a few exciting car chases.
Gibson nails his character with forceful acting skill, showing fire in his eyes, with his years of investigating murders showing on his facial road map. The supporting cast is top notch, making this intrigue-murder-mystery a riveting movie.