movie reviews lou

When I told my wife that I had to watch “An Allison Janney Action Movie” for a review this week, she was a little startled (although interested in the concept, to be fair). I’m all for unexpected casting, and the truth is that Janney has the range to do just about anything, as she’s proven with her long, award-winning career. Therefore, it’s not surprising that Janney is easily the best thing about “Lou,” but watching this talented actress give so much to a movie that gives absolutely nothing back starts to get depressing. She’s constantly trying to pull “Lou” into more interesting territory, but the clunky filmmaking and silly script keep pulling in the other direction, with her talented co-stars Logan Marshall-Green and Jurnee Smollett stuck in the tug-of-war. 

In what’s sort of a gender-swapped “ Taken ,” Janney plays the title character, a loner in a remote area of the Pacific Northwest in the 1980s. The film opens with Lou in a dark place. She kills a deer to establish her tough guy bona fides for the audience, withdraws all of her money, and writes a mysterious letter to someone about inheriting her home. She slugs some bourbon and prepares to take her own life when a woman renting a home nearby bursts through the door. It’s Hannah (Smollett), and her daughter Vee ( Ridley Asha Bateman ) is missing. Oh, did I mention a storm is coming? It’s about to get ugly outside and there’s now a missing girl.

Hannah knows who took her daughter—her ex-husband Phillip (Logan Marshall-Green), who we meet beating and killing a man who was silly enough to pick up a hitchhiker. It’s revealed that Phillip was not just an abusive husband to Hannah but faked his own death so he could get to his daughter under the cover of being presumed dead. Phillip is not your ordinary sociopath—he was a special forces soldier, and he even brought along a couple of his buddies to help with the kidnapping. All of them underestimated Lou. Of course.

Once Lou and Hannah get out into the torrential rain, “Lou” should have had momentum as a survival thriller. And there’s a great action scene in a cabin wherein the title character unleashes her training on a couple of dudes who don’t see it coming. With some tight fight choreography that Janney completely sells, I was ready for the film to build from there. And then it just stalls out. 

A ridiculous twist doesn’t help. Without spoiling, “Lou” has one of those suspension of disbelief character connections that requires robust writing and direction to push through it. When a movie takes a sharp, unbelievable turn, viewers are willing to set aside skepticism if the story keeps them entertained. But “Lou” can’t manage this trick, allowing us to question the logic of it all in a way that makes the emotional scenes later feel hollow. The minute you start asking whether or not someone would make that choice in a movie like “Lou,” it comes apart.

Credit to Janney for never giving into the idea that Lou has to be likable. She’s a suicidal killing machine. If anything, I wanted the film to lean into her cynicism and nihilism even more but was impressed that Janney never softens her edges. She seems to be the only person involved who understands that this movie needs to be a no-fat, no-frills thriller. Her co-stars, the usually reliable Marshall-Green and Smollett, don’t fare as well with the former turning the crazy dial up too high and the latter being given almost nothing to play beyond panicked mother.

Action movies that reshape the expectations of actors known primarily for drama can be a blast. I loved what Bob Odenkirk did in “ Nobody ,” for example. And Allison Janney proves with “Lou” that she could carry an action movie. If only she got one worth carrying. 

On Netflix today.

Brian Tallerico

Brian Tallerico is the Managing Editor of RogerEbert.com, and also covers television, film, Blu-ray, and video games. He is also a writer for Vulture, The Playlist, The New York Times, and GQ, and the President of the Chicago Film Critics Association.

• Allison Janney as Lou
• Greyston Holt as Chris
• Jurnee Smollett as Hannah
• Logan Marshall-Green as Philip
• Ridley Asha Bateman as Vee
• Matt Craven as Sheriff Rankin
• Anna Foerster
• Jack Stanley

Writer (story by)

• Maggie Cohn
• Paul Tothill

Cinematographer

• Michael McDonough
• Nima Fakhrara

Leave a comment

Now playing.

Sonic the Hedgehog 3

The Six Triple Eight

The Count of Monte Cristo

The Room Next Door

The Brutalist

Mufasa: The Lion King

September 5

The Last Showgirl

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim

Dirty Angels

Latest articles.

It’s Time to Give a FECK: Elevating Humanity through Forgiveness, Empathy, Compassion and Kindness (book by Chaz Ebert, with Foreword by Tamron Hall)

The Great Performances of 2024, Part Two

The Great Performances of 2024, Part One

Peacock Turns the Rom-Com Into a Game of Death in the Charming “Laid”

The best movie reviews, in your inbox.

We sent an email to [email protected]

Didn't you get the email?

By joining, you agree to the Terms and Policies and Privacy Policy and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By continuing, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

Log in or sign up for Rotten Tomatoes

Trouble logging in?

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes.

Email not verified

Let's keep in touch.

Sign up for the Rotten Tomatoes newsletter to get weekly updates on:

• Upcoming Movies and TV shows
• Rotten Tomatoes Podcast
• Media News + More

By clicking "Sign Me Up," you are agreeing to receive occasional emails and communications from Fandango Media (Fandango, Vudu, and Rotten Tomatoes) and consenting to Fandango's Privacy Policy and Terms and Policies . Please allow 10 business days for your account to reflect your preferences.

OK, got it!

• About Rotten Tomatoes®
• Login/signup

Movies in theaters

• Opening This Week
• Top Box Office
• Coming Soon to Theaters
• Certified Fresh Movies

Movies at Home

• Fandango at Home
• Prime Video
• Most Popular Streaming Movies
• What to Watch New

Certified fresh picks

• 87% Sonic the Hedgehog 3 Link to Sonic the Hedgehog 3
• 93% The Brutalist Link to The Brutalist
• 86% The Room Next Door Link to The Room Next Door

New TV Tonight

• 100% What If...?: Season 3
• -- Squid Game: Season 2
• -- Doctor Who: Season 1.1
• -- Call the Midwife: Season 13.1
• -- Queen Woo: Season 1
• -- Maestro in Blue: Season 3
• -- The Flipping El Moussas: Season 2

Most Popular TV on RT

• 93% Black Doves: Season 1
• 85% One Hundred Years of Solitude: Season 1
• 96% Laid: Season 1
• 79% No Good Deed: Season 1
• 90% Star Wars: Skeleton Crew: Season 1
• 67% Secret Level: Season 1
• -- La Palma: Season 1
• 86% The Day of the Jackal: Season 1
• 70% Dune: Prophecy: Season 1
• 75% Dexter: Original Sin: Season 1
• Best TV Shows
• Most Popular TV

Certified fresh pick

• 96% Laid: Season 1 Link to Laid: Season 1
• All-Time Lists
• Binge Guide
• Comics on TV
• Five Favorite Films
• Video Interviews
• Weekend Box Office
• Weekly Ketchup
• What to Watch

Best Movies of 2024: Best New Movies to Watch Now

100 Best Movies on HBO and MAX (December 2024)

What to Watch: In Theaters and On Streaming.

Awards Tour

Upcoming Video Game Movies and TV Adaptations

2025 Golden Globe Awards Ballot: Complete with Tomatometer and Popcornmeter Scores

• Trending on RT
• Awards Season
• Verified Hot
• Renewed and Cancelled TV
• Happy Holidays

Lou Reviews

The movie has one of those twists that need to build suspense which isn’t written properly.

Full Review | Sep 8, 2023

An atmospheric blend of survival thriller & crime mystery. Well worth a watch for Allison Janney's badass performance, Lou is Bear Grylls meets Jason Bourne with a dollop of TAKEN’s Bryan Mills.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Aug 24, 2023

This is another serviceable Netflix actioner that will do the trick for a late night watch, yet won’t be something on your mind the following morning.

Full Review | Original Score: C+ | Feb 8, 2023

Lou Adell (Allison Janney) is a cross between a typical Liam Neeson hero and Rambo.

Full Review | Original Score: B | Dec 7, 2022

It's very simply a sturdy, exciting little film, refreshingly female-centric and nicely atmospheric.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/4 | Oct 17, 2022

A mediocre action movie in a cohesive setting, with a helpless cast of actors and a story that really surprises no one. [Full review in Spanish]

Full Review | Oct 11, 2022

It may be formulaic and predictable, but action thriller Lou still makes for a fun watch, thanks in large part to the considerable talents of its leading lady.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Oct 10, 2022

Predictable, absurd and, in the end, disappointing survivalist 80s action pic.

Full Review | Original Score: B- | Oct 10, 2022

Lou proves that they’re willing to bring women of a certain age into the fold. And there’s nothing wrong with that, if the women in question are as high-value as Janney is, in even the silliest material.

Full Review | Oct 7, 2022

What Lou turns into is a thrilling hunt, with Janney leading the charge as a pissed off lady, morphing into a cathartic expression of rage and action.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/4 | Oct 7, 2022

“Lou” is both eminently familiar and unlike anything you’ve ever seen, meaning you’ve witnessed parts of it before but never together in this type of packaging. It packs a mighty punch and delivers an ending that will completely blow your socks off.

Full Review | Original Score: 4.5/5 | Oct 4, 2022

Low-nutrition thriller babble, but it’s often fun, and it has Allison Janney, for Pete’s sake.

Full Review | Original Score: B | Oct 4, 2022

It makes this sort of film so frustrating to watch, because the ingredients for an enjoyable thrill ride are all set up wonderfully. That it all stumbles and falls apart at the midpoint suggests a production that failed to trust the material.

Full Review | Original Score: 5/10 | Oct 3, 2022

Janney is particularly strong, and while I won’t say I needed to see her channeling her inner Liam Neeson, now that I’ve done so, I’m quite glad this bit of absurd strangeness has miraculously happened.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/4 | Oct 2, 2022

Stagnant direction trips up an otherwise decent woman of war, played with intensity by Allison Janney.

Full Review | Sep 30, 2022

A pulse-pounding, twist-laden chase film that can’t be faulted for following a formula,

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/5 | Sep 30, 2022

Marshall-Green can’t do much with his cut-and-paste psycho-soldier role. Faring better are Janney and Smollett, who become female action buddies. They’re fun to watch even as the movie falls apart around them.

Full Review | Original Score: C | Sep 30, 2022

Does the film rely on a convoluted backstory to make some of its points? Sure, but there’s still enough going on to make this a suitably fun movie to watch as a slightly above-average streaming original.

Full Review | Original Score: 6/10 | Sep 29, 2022

A film like this can succeed in ambiance but still fail if the actors aren't up to the job, which in this case requires emotional as well as physical performances.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Sep 28, 2022

Women Can Be Violent Too, you know. Of course you know. That assertion has been made by a variety of feminist film narratives, which Lou mimics with some righteousness, but never quite refreshes or reinvigorates.

Full Review | Sep 27, 2022

• Action/Adventure
• Children's/Family
• Documentary/Reality
• Amazon Prime Video

More From Decider

Decider's 24 Best TV Shows of 2024

Decider's 24 Best Movies of 2024

New Shows & Movies To Watch This Weekend: 'Carry-On' on Netflix + More

A Thing Not To Do: Lily Phillips Breaks Down In Tears After She “Sleeps...

'Southern Charm' Star Craig Conover On The Growing Distance Between Him...

New Movies on Streaming: 'Venom: The Last Dance,' 'Heretic,' + More

New On Netflix December 2024, Plus What’s Coming Next

The Best Christmas Movies On Netflix: 2024 Edition

Share this:.

• Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)
• Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
• Click to copy URL

Stream It Or Skip It: ‘Lou’ on Netflix, in Which Allison Janney Gets Grim and Grizzled for a Survivalist Suspense-Thriller

Where to stream:.

• Allison Janney

‘Jackpot’ Director Paul Feig Snuck a ‘Spy’ Reference Into His New Amazon Comedy: “We Finally Got the Face-Off Machine Into Something!”

The paley center is honoring 'the west wing's 25th anniversary with an exciting new exhibit, will there be a 'palm royale' season 2 on apple tv+ ricky martin weighs in, 'palm royale' lets bruce and laura dern confront death in a tear-jerking episode 6 scene.

Now on Netflix, Lou sees Allison Janney get her The Old Man on. She plays a dog owner and former CIA agent who finds herself in a circumstance that ends her quiet life of seclusion and compels her to once again kick some ass – and you just want her to find Jeff Bridges on whatever dating app retired government spies with considerable hand-to-hand skills and checkered pasts use so they can meet and hang out at the dog park, and maybe have a nice chat over pie and coffee afterward. Seems like it would be psychologically productive. The movie boasts J.J. Abrams as a producer, and is directed by Anna Foerster, a longtime collaborator with Roland Emmerich, who thankfully with her second directorial effort (the first: Underworld: Blood Wars ) shows little influence from the disaster-movie master in crafting a fairly small-scale action-suspense story. And you know what? It ain’t half bad.

LOU : STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

The Gist: Lou (Janney) looks like she’s really seen some shit. Probably done some shit, too. She’s mostly expressionless as she hunts a deer, puts a bullet in a deer, butchers a deer, burns some classified documents in the fireplace, finishes a glass of whiskey and props her rifle under her chin. Thunder booms and lightning crackles. But she doesn’t pull the trigger – no, this is one of those framing devices you see in movies. You know, the kind that want to really hook ya . We jump back a day or two. She lives on one of the San Juan Islands off the coast of Washington state. Reagan’s president. The cars are boxy. There’s something about the Iran-Contra scandal on the TV, which is boxy, too. We hear Bon Jovi on the soundtrack. I’d wager it’s about 1987.

Lou drives her rickety truck alongside Hannah (Jurnee Smollett) and reminds her brusquely that the rent’s due. Hannah and her daughter Vee (Ridley Asha Bateman) live in a mobile home on Lou’s property. Lou hovers for a second. Is she gonna say something? She looks like she’s gonna say something. But she’s got years of practice of not saying something, so she doesn’t say something.That night, the storm rages. Hannah nestles Vee into bed while across the way Lou scratches out her suicide note. The power goes out and while Hannah bears the elements outside to check the electrical box, someone snatches Vee and R-U-N-N-O-F-Ts. Hannah’s car is dead. She interrupts Lou’s final moments to find out that Lou’s power is also out and Lou’s phone is dead and then Lou’s truck explodes. Someone planned this: Hannah’s ex/Vee’s dad, a former Green Beret, war criminal and explosives expert. He’s supposed to be dead. But he ain’t dead.

Alrighty then. They’ll have to track him through the woods, Lou says. Lou helps Hannah gear up – flashlights, extra batteries, deer rifle, etc. Lou hands Hannah a knife and says if some man attacks her, “go for the eyes.” Damn. What’s Lou capable of? A lot, of course. A lot. They trek through the ferns and pouring rain and there’s a couple dangerous adversaries and a precarious rope bridge and a lot of mud and rock and a twist or two in the narrative path and some bad decisions made by the characters (but actually the screenwriters) and are we biting our nails yet? Yeah, a little bit.

Allison Janney Didn’t Think She’d Get To Do A Movie Like ‘Lou:’ “I Never Thought It Would Happen”

Performance Worth Watching: Is Janney the Performance Worth Watching in every movie she’s in? Pretty much. She consistently brings extra oomph to characters like Lou, who benefits from the extra dimension Janney brings to cliche-ridden characters.

Memorable Dialogue: Lou starts doing some hardcore survivalist shit:

Hannah: How do you know all this stuff? Lou: Girl Scouts.

Sex and Skin: None.

Our Take: These two women are tough as nails and they’re going to make that man pay . He’s a killer and an abuser and a psycho and he’s endangering his own child on purpose. There’s more to his motivation, but that’s a muddled junkheap of explainy-plot in a third act that somewhat diminishes the impact of the taut suspense built up during the first two, when Hannah and Lou are really put through the ringer: stumbles and tumbles and wounds and inclement weather and a rather tense scuffle with antagonists, all rendering them very wet and weary and limping and reliant on adrenaline and Hannah’s Mom Powers, which range from resilience to extra-resilient resilience.

Foerster keenly establishes the beautiful-but-dangerous setting and leans heavily into the grim atmosphere so everything tonally jibes by the time the story gets markedly dark near the end, and I hope I’m not saying too much by describing it as tangentially oedipal. That stuff isn’t wholly convincing; it’s overwrought, and could use another run through the writers’ room. So I suggest you lean into the craft of the film, which is fast-paced and edited extra-crispy so you feel the tension of the situation and the fortitude of the characters’ predicament, which gets brutal at times: Women Can Be Violent Too, you know. Of course you know. That assertion has been made by a variety of feminist film narratives, which Lou mimics with some righteousness, but never quite refreshes or reinvigorates. And that’s OK – there’s a visceral immediacy to Hannah and Lou’s survivalism that keeps us in the moment. But investing in the characters’ emotional journeys is a less rewarding endeavor.

Our Call: STREAM IT. Lou is a worthy suspense-thriller bolstered by strong performances and direction. And you could do far worse than watching Janney dig in and get dirty for 100 minutes.

Will you stream or skip the survivalist suspense-thriller #LouNetflix on @netflix ? #SIOSI — Decider (@decider) September 23, 2022

John Serba is a freelance writer and film critic based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Read more of his work at johnserbaatlarge.com .

• Stream It Or Skip It
• The Old Man

'Yellowstone' Star Luke Grimes Says Kevin Costner's Exit Put An End To "Some Of The Conflict" On Set

‘Yellowstone’ Season 5 Finale: 3 Big Takeaways You Might Have Missed, From Beth's Deadly Promise To '1883' Prophecy

Whoopi Goldberg Refers To Herself By Her Birth Name In Surprise Moment On 'The View'

Is 'Homestead' Streaming on Netflix or Prime Video?

Is 'Tracker' On Tonight? Here's When 'Tracker' Returns With New Episodes On CBS

Jenna Bush Hager Reflects On Returning To The White House With Her Daughter: "She Met The People Who Meant The Most To Us"

Advertisement

Supported by

‘Lou’ Review: Unfinished Business

A child’s kidnapping ignites a protracted bid for redemption in this down-and-dirty thriller.

• Share full article

By Jeannette Catsoulis

Whatever else one might say about the Netflix thriller “Lou,” making it must have been murder. Pummeled by near-constant rain, soaked in swampy mud and battered by frequent bouts of hand-to-hand combat, the movie’s headliners look to have suffered miserably.

Consequently, my admiration for Allison Janney, already high, skyrocketed. As the formidable title character, a woman of indeterminate vintage commonly accessorized with shovel, rifle or deer carcass, Janney leaves spry in the dust. Unfazed either by the working conditions or by Maggie Cohn and Jack Stanley’s ridiculously over-the-top screenplay, she lends her grouchy character more than a ramrod spine and steely stare: She gives her a woundedness that keeps us watching long after this prolix quest for redemption should have reached its preordained conclusion.

When the plot — a dense weave of familial pain and political misdeeds — requires Lou to leave her cabin in the Pacific Northwest and help a young mother (Jurnee Smollett) reclaim her abducted preteen daughter, Lou barely hesitates. Abandoning her careful plans for a final exit, she takes off through a storm-lashed forest on the trail of the kidnapper, distraught mother in tow. The journey will be filled with perils and flashbacks, regrets and secrets as Lou excavates her past; yet the director, Anna Foerster — who, aside from the instantly forgettable “Underworld: Blood Wars” (2017) , has worked mostly in television — pays greater attention to the movie’s impressive fight choreography than to the details of its central mystery.

Methodically violent and more than a little silly, “Lou” delivers a kick in the head to ageism. When did you last hear an arthritic heroine warn a woman half her age not to slow her down?

Lou Rated R for knives, fists, bullets and a lethal tin can. Running time: 1 hour 47 minutes. Watch on Netflix .

Explore More in TV and Movies

Not sure what to watch next we can help..

What Is a New York Movie? : Whether it was “A Complete Unknown” with 1960s Greenwich Village or “Anora” with present-day Brooklyn, filmmakers put new frames around the city .

From Bad Boy to Good Dad : Christian Slater’s tumultuous past has given way to a “very happy” family life . He plays a father on “Dexter: Original Sin,” too — but to keep a serial killer in check, you still need some edge.

Sex, Death and Nicole Kidman : Between her experience on “Babygirl” and her mother’s death, the star has come to understand a lot about women in unfulfilled lives .

Streaming Guides:  If you are overwhelmed by the endless options, don’t despair — we put together the best offerings   on Netflix , Max , Disney+ , Amazon Prime  and Hulu  to make choosing your next binge a little easier.

Watching Newsletter:  Sign up to get recommendations on the best films and TV shows  to stream and watch, delivered to your inbox.

• Cast & crew

User reviews

Solid entertainment

• Sep 24, 2022

A gritty well-made action thriller with a solid lead performance by Allison Janney in the lead

• IonicBreezeMachine
• Sep 22, 2022

I was pleasantly surprised

• z_z_z_z_z_z
• Oct 11, 2022

Dark, effective, taut, gritty psycho thriller - crackin' entertainment

• danieljfarthing
• Oct 13, 2022

Not too bad

• jupitermission
• Sep 23, 2022

Great performances. Good characters. Decent writing

• Oct 8, 2022

Allison Janney was perfect for this role

• walkingdead-08787

A solid enough 'chase through the woods' thriller

• Nov 22, 2022

Well-acted but absurd plot

• aronofskydavid

Entertaining thriller

• Luigi Di Pilla

Intriguing beginning but quickly drops in quality

• paul-allaer
• Sep 25, 2022

Successful survival film with its own identity

• norbert-plan-618-715813
• Dec 3, 2022

Not exactly original, but still a solid watch

• GregTheStopSign95

Had problems.

• Dodge-Zombie

Amazing heroine

• Nov 5, 2022

Edge of your seat thriller

Janney steals the show..

• Top_Dawg_Critic
• Sep 27, 2022

The world is not a playground

• nogodnomasters
• Nov 2, 2022

The Rain Wasn't Left in Africa...

• Oct 3, 2022

Excellent psychological thriller.

• marie-ell1993
• Oct 4, 2022

Lost its potential midway

• SoumikBanerjee1996

Jason Bournes older sister

I love this role for allison janney.

• TheGeekConnoisseur

Dont waste your time

• jmattioli-51371

More from this title

More to explore, recently viewed.

Summary Thinking she’d put her dangerous past behind her, Lou (Allison Janney) finds her quiet life interrupted when a desperate mother (Jurnee Smollett) begs her to save her kidnapped daughter. As a massive storm rages, the two women risk their lives on a rescue mission that will test their limits and expose dark and shocking secrets from their ... Read More

Directed By : Anna Foerster

Written By : Maggie Cohn, Jack Stanley

Allison Janney

Jurnee smollett, logan marshall-green, ridley asha bateman, matt craven, sheriff rankin, greyston holt, daniel bernhardt, rj fetherstonhaugh, andres collantes, deputy torres, marci t. house, toby levins, agent hampton, jaycie dotin, bank teller, seattle anchorwoman, jacob tazelaar, hardware cashier, sean campbell, ozzie & jersey, roman mitichyan, iranian abductor, grayson palumbo, young philip, cheyenne rouleau, wildlife photographer, critic reviews.

• All Reviews
• Positive Reviews
• Mixed Reviews
• Negative Reviews

User Reviews

Related movies, seven samurai, the wild bunch, crouching tiger, hidden dragon, the french connection, mad max: fury road, the incredibles, star wars: episode iv - a new hope, house of flying daggers, assault on precinct 13, gangs of wasseypur, captain blood, foreign correspondent, letters from iwo jima, black panther, wolfwalkers, related news.

2025 Movie Release Calendar

Jason dietz.

Find a schedule of release dates for every movie coming to theaters, VOD, and streaming throughout 2025 and beyond, updated daily.

DVD/Blu-ray Releases: New & Upcoming

Find a list of new movie and TV releases on DVD and Blu-ray (updated weekly) as well as a calendar of upcoming releases on home video.

The Worst Movies of 2024

We rank the lowest-scoring films released in 2024.

December 2024 Movie Preview

Keith kimbell.

The month ahead will bring a new Robert Eggers horror film, likely Oscar contender The Brutalist, a Lion King sequel, a Bob Dylan biopic, and more. Get details on these and all of the other notable films debuting this month.

The 15 Best Ridley Scott Movies

We rank the highest-scoring films directed by Ridley Scott from throughout his entire career.

We earn a commission for products purchased through some links in this article.

Netflix's Lou is Allison Janney's Taken – but not as fun as that sounds

A missed opportunity.

It's easy to forget, given how many sub-par clones and sequels followed, that Taken was an effective action movie. It knew exactly what it was, delivered what the audience wanted and had no pretensions beyond its winning, throwback concept: veteran character actor goes beast mode on younger, supposedly fitter bad guys.

Of course, the drawback of such a strong hook – and Taken 's box-office success – is that many would try and replicate it. The latest in a long line of imitators is Lou on Netflix , which does the full Taken by casting Allison Janney against type as a grizzled former CIA spy.

Sounds fun, right? It absolutely should be with the talents of Janney and Birds of Prey 's Jurnee Smollett, who takes on a co-lead role here. The problem is that unlike Taken , Lou either knows what it is and is ashamed of it, or thinks it's a lot deeper than it really is.

The ingredients are all there to show us what Lou might have been, and there's nothing in the opening act that makes you think it's going to be anything other than a fun action ride.

On an isolated island during an all-time worst storm, Hannah's (Smollett) daughter Vee (Ridley Asha Bateman) is kidnapped by her no-good military father Philip (Logan Marshall-Green), who was presumed dead. Hannah turns to her grouchy landlady Lou (Janney) for help, interrupting Lou's suicide attempt in the process, and they head out into the storm using Lou's particular set of skills to track down Philip and rescue Vee.

There are entertaining action movie clichés scattered throughout this first act, alongside some inventive ideas. Philip is an ex-Green Beret who is naturally "highly trained, an explosives expert", which he shows off by turning Vee's music box into a bomb. Oh, and he's also being helped by two former teammates who are obviously "just as vicious as he is".

The first major fight scene between Lou and these colleagues of Philip is also promising. It's a bruising, bloody encounter that involves all manner of household items, ending with Lou's innovative use of a tin can to slice and dice the henchmen. It'll certainly make you extra careful next time you open a tin of beans.

However, this is as good as you get with Lou . The majority of the middle act follows Lou and Hannah trudging through the woods, leading to a dull extended showdown with Philip.

Action is in short supply and Janney delivers more cutting remarks than she throws punches. The occasional putdown lands thanks to Janney's dry delivery – when Hannah says she never would have thought Lou a spy, she retorts, "Be a shit spy if you did" – but you won't have pressed play on Lou hoping for a comedy.

A second-act reveal changes up the dynamic, but doesn't make Lou any more interesting. The characters aren't fleshed out enough to make the finale connect on the emotional level it aims for, heightening the sense that the filmmakers wanted to make something deeper and forgot what movie they were making.

Lou is one of two action offerings out on Netflix today (September 23) alongside Athena , and you really should choose to watch that one instead.

Lou is available to watch now on Netflix.

Best Entertainment and Tech Deals

Shop Sky deals across TV, broadband and mobile

Shop Google Pixel 7a phones

Coronation Street X Joanie - Gilroy Retro Newton And Ridley Sweatshirt

LEGO Disney and Pixar ‘Up’ House

LEGO 007 Aston Martin DB5 James Bond

Sign up for Apple TV+

Heartstopper Volume 5

Barbie The Movie doll

Sign up for Disney+

Ted Lasso x Nike: AFC Richmond home kit

The Woman in Me by Britney Spears

Jojo: Finally Home by Johannes Radebe

The Witcher wolf pendant

Barbenheimer - Barbie v Oppenheimer T-shirt

Barbenheimer T-shirt

Best PS5 deals - where to buy PS5 today?

Anker PowerCore Essential 20,000 PD Power Bank

Movies Editor, Digital Spy  Ian has more than 10 years of movies journalism experience as a writer and editor.  Starting out as an intern at trade bible Screen International, he was promoted to report and analyse UK box-office results, as well as carving his own niche with horror movies , attending genre festivals around the world.   After moving to Digital Spy , initially as a TV writer, he was nominated for New Digital Talent of the Year at the PPA Digital Awards. He became Movies Editor in 2019, in which role he has interviewed 100s of stars, including Chris Hemsworth, Florence Pugh, Keanu Reeves, Idris Elba and Olivia Colman, become a human encyclopedia for Marvel and appeared as an expert guest on BBC News and on-stage at MCM Comic-Con. Where he can, he continues to push his horror agenda – whether his editor likes it or not.  

Netflix Movies

The best Christmas movies on Netflix

Netflix's Carry-On ending explained

Best movies on Netflix to watch now

Kerry Washington's new movie is now on Netflix

What is the biggest Netflix movie ever?

Egerton's Christmas thriller sets Netflix record

Will 365 Days 4 happen on Netflix?

Will The Christmas Chronicles 3 happen on Netflix?

Netflix sequel trailer has Alison Hammond cameo

Taron Egerton's new thriller is now on Netflix

Time Cut ending explained: Who is the killer?

The Platform 2 explained

Screen Rant

Lou review: compelling thriller boasts transformative allison janney performance.

Box Office: Sonic The Hedgehog 3 Ends Moana 2's Reign, Speeds Past Struggling Lion King Prequel [Full Chart Update]

Wicked movie director received surprising call from star wars creator george lucas: "he couldn't have been more kind", it ends with us controversy fuels: blake lively sues director & star justin baldoni for sexual harassment.

Over the course of three decades, Allison Janney has consistently delivered great performances across a range of genres like political TV dramas ( The West Wing ), film dramas ( I, Tonya ), and even movie musicals ( Hairspray ). The latest sees Janney transform into a mysterious, yet resourceful loner who uses her dark past to assist with finding the man who kidnapped her neighbor’s daughter. Directed by Anna Foerster from a screenplay by Maggie Cohn and Jack Stanley, Lou is a quiet thriller that takes a deep dive into the consequences of one’s actions. The film enables Janney and Jurnee Smollett to command every scrap of attention through physical and emotionally compelling performances.

In a small, secluded town, Lou (Allison Janney) spends her days and evenings hunting for food and caring for her dog Jax. After coming to terms with her dangerous decisions and history, Lou is ready to move on from her dark past. Unfortunately, her plans are interrupted when her neighbor Hannah ( Jurnee Smollett ) informs Lou that her daughter Vee (Ridley Asha Bateman) has been abducted by Hannah’s ex-husband Philip (Logan Marshall-Green). Together, the two set out to uncover a terrifying truth amidst a massive storm, showcasing their perseverance and willingness to risk their lives. The rescue mission also reveals some shocking secrets, which connects them in more ways than one.

Related: Allison Janney & Jurnee Smollett Interview: Lou

With Lou , Anna Foerster returns to film after a brief television directing stint with Westworld season 3 — four years after she made her directorial debut with Underworld: Blood Wars . In her latest, Foerster offers a quieter approach in her visual storytelling, concentrating on the characters to guide the plot while balancing three stories in one to discover hidden truths within their lives. By doing so, she humanizes very flawed characters in a way that viewers can connect to emotionally, even when it seems like they do not deserve it. Stylistically, Foerster never goes beyond the traditional Netflix thriller. Yet, her restraint is what allows Cohn and Stanley’s script to shine, especially when the focus is on the development of their characters.

In due time, Lou finds itself caught between moments of reticence, where the film excels, and revelation, where it tends to falter. In execution, the secrets among Lou, Hannah, and Philip are the components of the script that provide the most intrigue. This element enables Foerster to take a methodical approach in her storytelling, exposing secrets at a pace that requires a slow peel-back of the characters involved. Once the actual mysteries are unveiled, it ramps up the action and loses its early influence of great narratives centered on humanity and motherhood. On the other hand, these sequences also come at the right time to push the final act ahead full throttle.

Whether fans of Netflix thrillers end up liking Lou is a toss up depending on preferences in the pacing of these types of stories. But there’s one thing in particular that most fans will agree with: Allison Janney gives a transformative performance. Not only does the Primetime Emmy, Golden Globe, and Academy Award-winning actress give a powerful emotional performance, but Janney also delivers a stunning showcase of strength and physicality in her fight sequences. Alongside her is Jurnee Smollett, who is always a reliable talent, capable of stealing scenes and drawing a viewer’s eye directly towards her. Janney and Smollett’s chemistry is enough to lock in attention, even when this layered script takes bizarre plot turns.

In the end, Lou is the type of Netflix film that one may be compelled to watch for the fascinating dynamic among its three main characters. Paired with exceptional performances and onscreen chemistry, Foerster’s latest feels like a step in the right direction for the director's sophomore feature film. Through a disciplined approach in her visual storytelling, Foerster highlights the emotionally captivating aspects of the story while providing emphasis on their developments as individuals. With Cohn and Stanley’s spirited screenplay humanizing even the worst of characters, Lou is bound to be a conflicting yet interesting watching experience for viewers.

Lou released on Netflix Friday, September 23. The film is 107 minutes long and rated R for violence and language.

Lou is a thriller directed by Anna Foerster, starring Allison Janney as Lou, a reclusive woman forced out of her isolated existence when a desperate mother seeks her help to find her abducted daughter. Jurnee Smollett co-stars as the frantic mother, and the film explores themes of resilience and the inherent strength of its characters.

• 3 star movies
• Movie Reviews