Echelon Conspiracy (2009)

Elevator Pitch: Max Petterson, a computer engineer, receives a DHL parcel which contains a modern cell phone. He starts to receive messages which will change his situation and in a casino in Prague eventually wins $3,000,000 resulting in him being chased and captured by the casino security headed by John Reed, who is an ex-FBI man. Meanwhile he is also tracked by FBI agent Dave Grant, who is in direct contact with his boss. Max is romanced by Kamila, who actually works for John Reed but who changes sides, while the FBI seem to be employing hit teams to dispatch Max. So the big questions are, what’s going on and will Max survive.

Content: There is implied sex, quite tastefully done. We see Max being advised by the phone, and other people inexplicably being killed. Indeed when he refuses to do what the phone tells him, he is threatened. There is a big shoot-out with a pretty compelling sniper attack. John Reed and Max escape from the Russian police in a van, which is followed by an extensive and moderately ingenious car chase. Many cars are trashed. Finally things come to a head at a server facility in Nebraska.

A View: this film was hardly seen by anyone, and was sort of panned by the few critics who chose to critique. I am watching a lot of films, and am pleased when I see one which is even moderately engaging. Ok this plot is not that original, and we would hardly be surprised at the outcome, but even so it rolls along, so I have given it 7/10 which is a score indicating that it is pretty watchable.

Some of the critics cited a source as being Eagle Eye, to which it is a bit similar. Other computer driven plots which you might have a look at include Stealth and Chappie.