Profile (2021)

By: Mike Ward on Friday, May 14

R Running Time: 105 mins

SHOULD I SEE IT?

YES

  • Few can look at the movie Profile and not acknowledge the film is an inventive, cleverly designed suspense/thriller made to look as if everything is occurring on a laptop screen.

  • Innovative director Timur Bekmambetov is more an idea guy than an accomplished filmmaker, but Profile is, for the most part, a compelling suspense film.

  • Performances from Valene Kane and Shazad Latif are quite good, bringing a believable chemistry to the challenges of acting alongside each other virtually.

NO

  • If you stop and analyze a number of the decisions made, especially in the second half of the film… You know what? Just don’t think beyond the surface. Movie largely crumbles as soon as you do.

  • There are those who will not appreciate the Screenlife form of storytelling. The film legitimately takes place on a computer screen and in a pandemic where we live on screens - it may be too much.

  • Ultimately, Profile feels more style than substance, more presentation than impactful storytelling. The intriguing plot, based on true events, seems overwhelmed by the conceit of how the story is told.


OUR REVIEW

Film critics tend to want to reward inventiveness and creativity. Sometimes we become guilty of championing projects simply because they break the mold of formulaic storytelling tropes we see play out again and again. On the one hand, it is understandable. Finding a way to do something new and innovative should pique a movie fan’s interest. On the other hand, we should be careful not to throw empty praise at an idea that does not completely come together or work as well as intended.

And that brings us to Profile, director Timur Bekmambetov’s ambitious story of a London journalist attempting to go undercover through social media to understand how ISIS successfully recruits young women to join their cause. Though the film has been sitting for three years awaiting release, Bekmambetov is being celebrated for directing the film using the Screenlife technology he created.

Utilized in films like Searching and Unfriended, Bekmambetov’s innovation comes with a decree that Screenlife stories should take place on one specific screen, never leaving that screen for the duration of the story.

The idea of Profile is a compelling one. Increasingly, as we remain bound to screens of all sizes and shapes, and never more so than during the pandemic, Skype calls, FaceTime chats, texts, private messages, and social media profiles are how we view the world. In that regard, Profile feels novel and almost provocative at times.

Based on true events, we join Amy at the outset of her creating a new identity of “Melody Nelson.” She researches a young girl who went from a wanna-be-YouTuber to a young Muslim wife stoned to death in four short months. Amy compiles notes from Google searches, shares gutwrenching ISIS propaganda videos on her new page, and instantly friend requests dozens of people connected to that young girl’s account. As the friend tally climbs, her editor loves the concept, and we see a pesky reminder that Amy needs to pay her rent.

As we whisk our way through a myriad of MacBook apps and programs, her lack of financial standing and unrelenting resourcefulness are designed to present us a relatable character. The film’s presentation heightens a voyeurism present within all of us. And she is a whiz at finding things on the internet.

Amy’s learning of how to properly wear a burka, apply makeup to look years’ younger, and deft ability to composite several backstories explaining her “conversion” to Islam, eventually pays off: She becomes a woman of great interest to the charming and handsome Bilel (Shazad Latif).

England-born, and now located in Syria, Bilel is unapologetically an ISIS soldier. A brazen private message comes when “Melody” shares one of his ISIS videos on Facebook. As interactions take a turn towards flirtation, an anxious Amy brings a Syrian co-worker, Lou (Amir Rahimzadeh), into the fold to help translate and guide her through those initial conversations.

Written by Bekmambetov, Britt Poulton, and Olga Kharina, Profile eventually dovetails from something plausible into something struggling to make common sense. They are not any major surprises, but Kane and Latif find great chemistry together, even acting virtually. To Bekmambetov’s credit, the positive of Screenlife storytelling is that everything remains in front of us. As you might expect, words, phrases, conversations that seem innocuous become vitally important as Amy/Melody descends deeper into conversation and develops a trust and connection with Bilel.

While the actual story Profile is adapted from has real-life harrowing consequences, resulting in author Anna Érelle hiding from death threats she has received, Whittaker’s actions become increasingly hard to rationalize.

Though his directorial efforts of the past have largely left much to be desired, Bekmambetov does at least understand that immersion is foundational to engaging a viewer in the story you are trying to tell. Profile hooks you just deeply enough to have you digging around on that desktop and encouraging Amy to drag this and click that and open this and not open that.

Taken at face value, Profile is a fun little movie - just don’t think too deeply about it. At a minimum, you will see something pretty new and innovative. How long you find the film engaging however, in this format and with this script, will determine your eventual accepting or rejecting of this cinematic friend request.

CAST & CREW

Starring: Valene Kane, Shazad Latif, Christine Adams, Amir Rahimzadeh, Morgan Watkins, Emma Cater, Eloise Thomas

Director: Timur Bekmambetov
Written by: Britt Poulton, Olga Kharina, Timur Bekmambetov
Based on the novel “In the Skin of a Jihadist,” by Anna Érelle
Release Date: May 14, 2021
Focus Features