SiftPop

by Jack Grimme, Contributing Writer

Welcome to April’s installment of SiftPop’s Another Person’s Treasure series! Our goal is to take a film that was almost universally panned and give it a second chance. If you have not seen my name in the past, that is because I was only recently picked up as a contributor for the website. This is my first full article and my first chance to establish credibility on the website. And how have I chosen to do that? I am going to try and convince you that 2009’s sci-fi thriller Push is worth giving a shot. This is a daunting task, so let’s go ahead and get started!

Chris Evans has cemented himself as one of the most recognizable faces within the superhero genre. We all love him as the MCU’s Captain America. Everyone is aware of his turn as the Human Torch in the underwhelming Fantastic Four franchise that was released in the 2000s. Unfortunately, it seems like his role as Nick Gant in Push has not remained in the public’s collective consciousness like his other performances. The film has largely been lost to time. And those who do remember it do not reflect on it fondly. The Paul McGuigan directed film sits at a 6.1 on IMDb, 24% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes, 42% audience score, 36 on Metacritic, and holds a 2.7 average rating on Letterboxd. While the film seems to be rated poorly on just about every site, I feel like the average person hasn’t even heard of it. So, I’ll start with a summary of the film to get everyone on the same page.

Evans leads as the aforementioned Nick Gant, who lives in a world where a small portion of the population is born with a superpower. He is called a “Mover,” which essentially means he is telekinetic. Nick eventually befriends Cassie Holmes, a 13-year-old girl played by Dakota Fanning. Cassie was born with the ability to see the future and was labeled a “Watcher.” There is a large assortment of potential gifts one can be born with in this universe. The film’s title refers to a person with the ability to psychically influence an individual’s decision-making process by implanting false memories. The main conflict in the film revolves around Nick and Cassie’s quest to find a woman who is being pursued by a dangerous shadow organization in Hong Kong. The conceit is relatively basic, but I genuinely feel like they do some interesting things with the plot to keep it engaging. I want it to be very clear — I am not trying to claim that this film was snubbed at the Oscars. I understand why it is generally disliked, and the negatives are not lost on me. Before I discuss those in detail, I want to dive into the positives that keep me coming back to this movie.

The primary strength that Push has going for it is the world building. The film opens with a lore dump from Fanning’s character. The way the information is initially presented is a little tedious. However, I really enjoy the grounded, super-powered reality that they have created here. Push really hits its stride when it ditches the narration and embraces the “show, don’t tell” approach. Conceptually, the powers are pretty basic. Mind-control, telekinesis, and future-sight have all been done before. However, I feel like they do a great job of realizing how these powers would impact the real world and real people. One of the first scenes finds Nick trying to use his powers to manipulate dice and hustle people on the street. That feels like a believable application of that ability. I also love seeing how they apply his powers to fight scenes. He psychically grabs guns to shoot them around corners and apply pressure to enemies without endangering himself. We also see him use it to add extra force to his punches. I am always impressed when filmmakers find inventive ways to use their heroes’ strengths in combat. Some films would just say, “mind control is mind control. It just happens.” Push ties the ability into memories in a way that creates a lot of suspense. People struggle to trust their own reality when they are in the presence of a Pusher.

Cassie’s foresight ability is probably the most fully realized power within this film. This movie posits that there isn’t a set path reality is destined to follow. The future is dictated by split second decisions. If someone is planning to murder a person, Cassie will be able to see that future. Spur-of-the-moment decisions aren’t as easy to predict. The characters still have agency and that makes the story much more suspenseful. The second best part of this film is the dynamic between Cassie and Nick, and that ties directly into their powers. Cassie’s reality is honestly terrifying when you think about it. She is constantly aware of the exact circumstances of her death. She can attempt to manipulate reality to prevent it, but it’s often hard to determine exactly what choice leads to certain outcomes. This explains why Cassie is mature beyond her years. She has created an apathetic persona to prevent the gravity of her knowledge from driving her mad. This character is a solid foil to Evans’ performance. Nick is still a child in many ways at this point in his life. He has spent his time running from trauma instead of facing it. He grifts with his gift instead of using his abilities for good. Cassie doesn’t share the luxury of being able to run from her problems. The two end up having a compelling bond that carries the emotional moments of the film.

The final part of the film that keeps me coming back is the third act, which I will keep vague in order to avoid spoilers. Throughout the story, Cassie and Nick recruit friends that end up helping them face the main villains. Ming-Na Wen, Nate Mooney, and Camilla Belle make up the rest of the squad. Djimon Hounsou appears as the main villain, but while he isn’t given a whole lot to do, he still gives a solid performance. He is genuinely one of the most underrated and underutilized performers today. The final confrontation does a great job of making each of these people and their gifts feel useful. They were able to work around some of the more overpowered gifts to make the final fight fair and thrilling. The middle of the film drags a little, but the heist style conclusion is worth the wait.

With all that being said, this film obviously is far from perfect. Many of the performances feel stiff. A lot of people will struggle to care for the relationships because several actors struggle to sell some of the cheesier bits of dialogue. I wish they would’ve spent more time building the dynamic of the core team. The villains have incredibly uninspired motivations. But most of all, the film just seems to be missing one last piece to make it stand out. I see a potential version of this film that leans into the terrifying implications of some of these abilities. Dial back the action and show more of the darker side of this world and you can create a unique horror thriller. Another option would be to go full action. This film has some cool action sequences that shows serious potential. I think if you put it in the hands of someone like Brad Bird, you could have mesmerizing fight scenes that fully utilize everyone’s strengths. However, the film still stands as an engaging popcorn film that deserves an audience. While it doesn’t fully flesh out each power, it does invite the audience to think about the world behind the scenes. This film briefly touches on a handful of power-based moral dilemmas that are thought-provoking. Evans and Fanning create a fun bond akin to Logan and Laura from Logan Joel and Ellie from The Last of Us. The duo guides Push to an exciting conclusion that will hopefully hit you as hard as it me!

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