When Rebecca (Abbie Cornish) wakes up handcuffed in a police interview room with no memory of how she got there, something feels off. The officers grilling her about a hit and run seem legit at first: a detective (Moon Bloodgood) with a hard, mean stare is classic bad cop, assisted by a genial sidekick (Laz Alonso) who walks in with doughnuts. But the precinct is grotty even by police standards. What’s wrong with the place? You don’t have to wait long to find out. Just 12 minutes in, this overheated psychological thriller noir delivers an almighty plot twist. Like the movie, it’s more ridiculous than interesting.
Despite its B or even C-movie approach, Detained is given a bit of weight by an intriguing performance by Cornish. It unfolds almost entirely in the police precinct, where Rebecca is told she was found passed out behind the wheel at 2am. A cyclist has been reported missing and forensics are examining a bloodstained dent on her car. She watches on video as the guy she picked up in a bar gives a witness statement that she was driving under the influence. Right about here things slide into absurdity.
