The Rhythm Section is a somber film that takes the viewer on the tumultuous journey of Oxford student-turned-prostitute and drug addict, Stephanie Patrick (Blake Lively). After the loss of her entire family on a plane crash that killed all passengers on board, Patrick sees her previously promising future take a sharp turn down a dangerous path as she struggles to cope with her tragic loss.
Enter Proctor (Raza Jaffrey), a freelance journalist who has been researching the crash and believes that it was not an accident but an act of terror. Proctor reaches out to Patrick, who initially rejects his efforts. Shortly afterward, however, Patrick finds Proctor and discovers what he knows about the crash.
While Patrick is muddling through a resurgence of grief and anger, she learns from Proctor about the suspects behind the crash and sets out to take revenge on her own. She steals several items from Proctor’s apartment, including gold and cash, buys a gun and waits for Reza (Tawfeek Barhom), the man responsible for building the bomb that took the plane down.
Patrick loses her nerve and is unable to kill Reza, and as they sit face to face at a cafeteria table, the bag she brought along with Proctor’s research and personal information gets snatched up by Reza’s companions. Upon returning to Proctor’s apartment, Patrick finds him dead from a single gunshot to the head.
One detail Patrick clings to is a contact that Proctor had who was able to confirm that the crash was not an accident. Patrick finds this person, only known as B (Jude Law), and asks him to help her to kill those responsible for taking the plane down. B, a former MI6 agent, reluctantly agrees to train Patrick, though he reveals that he has little faith she will be successful in her mission.
Much to his surprise, she does kill the first of several terrorists behind the bombing, but not without getting banged up. Together, the relentless pair works down the list and Patrick mercilessly completes each murder in a desperate attempt to find redemption for the senseless deaths of her family members.
The Dove Take:
The Rhythm Section is a dark and bitter story with a focus on the completion of a vengeful plan to murder multiple members of a terrorist group. Because of regular violence, sexual content and language, and a lack of any redeeming qualities, this film is Not Dove-approved.
