Netflix: Only a few days left to see this thriller dreamed up as the successor to Silence of the Lambs and Seven

The late 90s saw a number of classic crime thrillers in Hollywood, from Jonathan Demme’s The Silence of the Lambs to David Fincher’s Seven. In 1999, Bone Collector, directed by Philip Noyce, completed the decade following these classics. Starring Denzel Washington and Angelina Jolie, the film is based on a mixture of psychological suspense and criminal investigation.

Based on Jeffrey Deaver’s 1997 novel of the same name, Bone Collector stars Denzel Washington as Lincoln Raimi, a renowned NYPD criminology expert who becomes quadriplegic after an accident. When a wealthy New York couple is kidnapped by a criminal disguised as a taxi driver, Raimi is asked to cooperate with the police again.

Reluctant at first, he agrees on the condition that he supports Amelia Donaghy (Angelina Jolie), a young police officer whose father committed suicide. Together they will try to unravel the threads of the complex investigation. The film uses the codes of a psychological thriller and explores themes of personal growth and redemption.

A unique duet

The casting of Denzel Washington and Angelina Jolie was a deliberate choice by Philip Noyce, who sought to create an iconic duo whose chemistry would be similar to that seen in previous thrillers. Actors like Al Pacino were initially considered for the lead role, but last-minute changes resulted in the casting of Denzel Washington. Angelina Jolie, then little known, played the role of Amelia.

If The Bone Collector didn’t achieve the iconic status of The Silence of the Lambs, it still managed to impress with its heavy atmosphere and constant tension. Washington and Jolie’s performances, along with careful direction, offer characters that complement each other well. Both are disabled in some way. Raimi is physically restrained and Amelia has such a deep psychological wound that she is emotionally restrained.

Despite a good cast and an interesting master-student duo, Bone Collector harkens back to the 90s thrillers without much effort, but with efficiency. But the film remains an interesting example of how they tried to refresh the 90s psychological thriller genre, relying on deeply troubled characters and tales of redemption.

Bone Collector is available until May 31st on Netflix