The Paperboy - Cast over substance

In `The Paperboy' we have the classic example that having a stellar cast does not necessarily mean everything else to just fall into place around it. Nicole Kidman, John Cusack, Mathew McConaughey and even Zac Efron (who has a tough job at shedding his High School Musical persona, but very well here) all put in excellent performances in a story about a reporter returning to his home town to solve the mystery of the local sheriff's death.

However, the problem lies with the fact that the `story' seems to fall into the background and everything becomes so focussed on the characters and what they're up to. What little there is in the way of story occasionally resurfaces, leaving you wondering what's going on.

The writer seems to be so obsessed by trying to `shock' by getting the central characters to perform above and beyond their normal acting range that they seem to be just trying to get to one `outrageous set-piece' to another.

Yes, the performances are all strong, but for a `thriller' I didn't find it that thrilling. If you're looking for a set of characters who are pretty unlikeable, behaving outlandishly then you'll enjoy this - just don't try to tie it together too much.

6/10 May just keep you awake if Freddy Krueger was haunting your nights