A quintessential big-budget thriller, with director Kathryn Bigelow utilising the physical prowess of her two leads to tell the story of an FBI agent drawn into a cat-and-mouse game with surfing bank robbers. Working on his partner’s hunch that a spate of bank robberies is being committed by a tight-knit gang of surfers, undercover agent Johnny Utah infiltrates the California surfing fraternity to uncover the identity of the ‘Ex-Presidents’, who commit heists while wearing facemasks of Ronald Reagan, Richard Nixon, Lyndon B. Johnson, and Jimmy Carter. But Johnny comes under the charismatic spell of Bodhi, a free-style philosopher obsessed with extreme sports, becoming hooked on the adrenaline-rush of a life on the edge. Racing from one fast-paced and technically dazzling set piece to the next, with action unfolding on the surf, in the sky and through the streets of LA, Kathryn Bigelow simultaneously relishes and deconstructs the tropes of the ‘bromantic’ action spectacular. It’s a visually dazzling (especially in the new 4K restoration) and heady ride.
Screening as part of the British Film Institute's Art of Action series.
Art of Action is a new BFI season celebrating the artistry of real action choreography, that has kept film audiences on the edge of their seats since the early days of cinema. Presented by the BFI Film Audience Network (BFI FAN) using funds from the National Lottery, Art of Action will take place at cinemas across the UK from October-December 2024
