After playing hard-boiled cop John Luther on the absolutely brilliant BBC series Luther, Idris Elba is stepping on the other side of the law for his next movie role, in this fall’s thriller No Good Deed (not to be confused with the plainly awful 2003 Samuel L. Jackson/Milla Jovovich crime thriller of the same name). Elba stars as a dangerous killer who, after staging a jailbreak, invades the home of a young mother (Oscar nominee Taraji P. Henson) and threatens both her and her children. The mother, a District Attorney, is forced to pick up arms to defend herself against the intimidating intruder.
We’ve got the first trailer for the film today, and though it looks quite predictable, Elba’s presence may be enough to get me into the theater. He rarely goes for psycho roles, opting instead to play charismatic heroes (in films like Pacific Rim and Prometheus), so No Good Deed will mark a refreshing change of pace for the actor. I wish I could say that I thought it was No Good Deed‘s script that convinced him to take on this role, but it looks like he’s in it for director Sam Miller, who previously helmed six incredible episodes of Luther.
Here’s hoping that No Good Deed isn’t as cut-and-dry as this first trailer suggests, but even if it is, Elba and Henson should do strong enough work in the lead roles to carry the flick. Plus, we’ll get to see Miller’s tense direction on the big screen, which I’m looking forward to. Leslie Bibb, Kate del Castillo and Henry Simmons also have roles in this home invasion thriller, which owes its script to 96 Minutes writer-director Aimee Lagos.
No Good Deed arrives on September 12th.
Terri (Taraji P. Henson), a devoted wife and mother of two, lives an ideal life that takes a dramatic turn when her home and children are threatened by Colin (Idris Elba), a charming stranger who smooth-talks his way into her house, claiming car trouble. The unexpected invitation leaves her and her family terrorized and fighting for survival.