Movie Title: Shattered
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller,
Director: Wolfgang Petersen
Writer: Wolfgang Petersen, based on the novel by Richard Neely
Starring: Tom Berenger, Bob Hoskins, Greta Scacchi, Joanne Whalley, Corbin Bernsen, Debi A. Monahan, Bert Rosario, Jedda Jones, Scott Getlin, Kellye Nakahara
Review: A horrific car wreck leaves Dan Merrick (Tom Berenger) disfigured and without his memory. With the help of his wife (Greta Scacchi) he tries to remember who he is and put his life back together, but the more digging he does might unearth secrets that should have stayed buried.
Shattered is pure film noir! I love film noir and so does director Wolfgang Petersen. He crafts a gripping mystery that has plenty of twists and turns, red herrings, sexy femme fatales, thrills, chills, and shocking revelations.
The cast (including Tom Berenger, Bob Hoskins, Greta Scacchi, Joanne Whalley, and Corbin Bernsen) are very game for this throwback thriller. Tom Berenger plays against type here as a vulnerable victim attempting to figure out what happened to him. Greta Scacchi is fantastic as the caring wife that appears to have secrets of her own. And the late-great Bob Hoskins is perfect as the pet shop owner and part time private detective that helps Berenger put the pieces together and finally uncover the truth.
Shattered is '90s noir at its best! Sex, violence, double-crosses, shocking discoveries, flashbacks, and an ending that will leave you aghast. It's an entertaining mystery that I like to revisit from time to time. If you're a fan of noir thrillers then it's time to get Shattered!
Fun Fact: The film was made and released about twenty-two years after its source novel "The Plastic Nightmare" by Richard Neely had been first published in 1969.