‘Keep Shut’ assessment: This Harlan Coben adaptation will get all of it mistaken

Oh expensive! This Harlan Coben adaptation has acquired all of it mistaken. Whereas transferring the motion for variations of different Coben novels to Spain (The Harmless), Poland (The Woods) and France (Gone for Good) has labored, transferring Keep Shut from New Jersey and Atlantic Metropolis to an indeterminate location within the UK is an epic fail.

Additionally Learn | Get ‘First Day First Present’, our weekly e-newsletter from the world of cinema, in your inbox. You can subscribe for free here

There are massive, fats plotholes that you just can’t start to get out and you’ll absolutely lose curiosity in after spending about 30 seconds enthusiastic about them. Clearly, BAFTA-winning screenwriter Danny Brocklehurst, who has written some wonderful Coben variations, together with The Stranger, Secure and The 5, was unable to get a deal with on this one.

Keep Shut, primarily based on Coben’s 2012 novel, tells the story of three folks: suburban mother Megan (Cush Jumbo), a police detective Broome (James Nesbitt) and a photographer Ray (Richard Armitage). Megan, although now residing the dream life with associate Dave (Daniel Francis) and their three kids — Kayleigh (Bethany Antonia), Laura (Tallulah Byrne) and Jordan (Dylan Francis) — was a stripper referred to as Cassie in one other life at a membership referred to as Vipers.

Cassie and Ray had been in love, however then one night time, a nasty man referred to as Stewart vanished and Cassie disappeared solely to reappear as Megan in a lovely home 17 years later. Ray, a gifted photographer, (who for some unusual motive wants a darkish room to course of digital images) went to items after Cassie’s disappearance. Broome was the detective assigned to seek out Stewart and has not been profitable for the final 17 years, which have to be fairly miserable and value him his marriage to Erin (Jo Joyner) although they proceed to work collectively.

When one other nasty man vanishes 17 years after Stewart did, all of it comes again. Broome sees a connection between the 2 disappearances and sees a manner of lastly laying Stewart’s ghost to relaxation. Cassie visits the Vipers earlier than her wedding ceremony, (why she does so isn’t convincingly defined) to set off a series of unlucky occasions. Ray will get right into a brawl at Vipers, whereas Kayleigh and her good friend Bea (Rachel Andrews) sneak into Vipers; gosh, it’s tiresome even going by means of the plot.

A horrid, psychopathic couple, Ken (Hyoie O’Grady) and Barbie (Poppy Gilbert)—clearly not their actual names — run about doing demented dance routines with a jolly little bit of torture on the facet. Sarah Parish is nice Lorraine, the hard-as-nails however golden hearted bartender at Vipers, and Eddie Izzard is Harry Sutton, a sort lawyer and high-functioning drug addict who helps those that are down on their luck.

Whereas beautiful-looking —even the police-provided secure home is attractive with a seashore view — the inconsistencies in Keep Shut are past annoying. How can all these folks stay in the identical neighbourhood and by no means run into one another for 17 years? How can there be secret passages within the police station? How come no person thought to examine the woods and the bunker? What do Megan and Dave do for a residing which has earned them a lot cash? The tone careens wildly between brutal and bland. By the point the promised twist comes on the finish, you’re past caring.

One can watch Keep Shut, when you completely don’t have something to do… And even then, you could possibly spend your time higher, watching The Stranger or The Woods another time.

Keep Shut is at present streaming on Netflix