Trailerblazing -- No Good Deed

No Good Deed (2014) -- September 12, 2014 -- directed by Sam Miller -- starring Idris Elba, Taraji P. Henson, Leslie Bibb, Kate del Castillo, Henry Simmons

I love films that revolve around battles of wills and the hero or heroine's ingenuity. There are simply not enough thrillers being made today and the first thing from this trailer that strikes my fancy is the suspense that I have not seen in a long time. Elba has not played many villains -- the complex, calculating Stringer Bell from "The Wire" is the only one that comes to mind -- and possesses a unique charisma and authority, so it will be fantastic to see him play a new kind of part. Henson is a terrific chameleon - check out two completely different characters in Hustle & Flow and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, among others -- and I have missed seeing her since "Person of Interest". Based on this footage, the two have a palpable dynamic, which is what this type of story hinges on. The trailer does give out a lot of information, but thankfully no spoilers, so we might be in for a nice surprise in terms of potential twists and turns. I look forward to No Good Deed and hope that it inspires filmmakers to revert to old-fashioned excitement.