DVD Review: The Entitled

Without the security of the job he wants or the future he dreamed of, Paul Dynan (Kevin Zegers), plans the perfect crime to help his struggling family – extort a fortune from three wealthy men (Ray Liotta, Victor Garber, Stephen McHattie). The plan: to abduct their socialite children (Laura Vandervoort, Dustin Milligan, John Bregar) and collect a healthy ransom of $3-million dollars. Over the course of one long night, Paul and his accomplices hold the rich kids hostage awaiting the ransom with little idea of the secrets that will surface between the fathers when they are forced to choose between their children and their money. Once blood is shed and things go horribly wrong, Paul must fight to stay one step ahead of his own twisted game.

Kevin and I spent the past two evenings watching this thriller. It didn’t take two nights because it wasn’t good, but because I couldn’t stay awake the first night. In fact, I made Kevin shut it off at a particularly suspenseful part, and he wasn’t very happy with me. I particularly enjoyed the cast: Victor Garber, who I will watch in anything; Ray Liotta, who always plays a good weasel-type character; and Laura Vandervoort, otherwise known as Lisa on V. (It will take a long time for me to get her final episode of V out of my head – as soon as I saw her face, I had a flashback of an image of her ripping a guy’s throat out with her bare teeth. Shudder.)

The lead actor is Kevin Zegers, whose face looks familiar, although I couldn’t tell you from which series or film. He reminds me a lot of a young Tobey Maguire, in both looks and mannerisms. He was up to the job of playing the beleaguered Paul, a young man who just can’t get a break. When his mother can no longer afford her medications (for an undisclosed condition), he takes matters into his own hands. Unfortunately, he can’t pull off the job on his own, and takes on two accomplices, played by Devon Bostick and Tatiana Maslany. These two actors play the creepy and disturbed duo perfectly, and their being a part of Paul’s scheme means that nothing will go as planned.

When you watch The Entitled, be sure and check out the special features – there is an alternate ending that gives the movie a whole new twist.