Suspect Zero

A crypto-thriller starring the prodigious Ben Kingsley, set in the sun-bleached American southeast and pledging to explore the mysterious world of remote viewing? Count me in. After the disappointments of Saw and Darkness I was hoping for something I could really sink my teeth into and I wasn't disappointed: Suspect Zero is an emotive and compelling film.

Kingsley is riveting as antihero Benjamin O'Ryan (the punned surname isn't accidental), delivering a nuanced performance that manages to inspire both sympathy and suspicion. Aaron Eckhart and Carrie-Anne Moss co-star as combative FBI agents who become increasingly bewildered and lost in their jigsaw-puzzle case.

The cinematography is gorgeous and the movie gets maximum mileage out of the stark contrast between the expansive landscape of New Mexico's painted desert and the claustrophobic interior shots of old houses, blood-stained car trunks and dank basements.

Perhaps best of all, this movie doesn't pander to audiences or presume that we're stupid; it demands a certain level of thoughtful engagement. If you're willing to let yourself get immersed in the film and commit to an attentive reading, you'll be rewarded with a tight, well-written, suspenseful thriller.