Beckett

Beckett, portrayed by John David Washington, is an American tourist in the midst of political turmoil in Athens, Greece. Determined to escape the chaos with his girlfriend, April, played by Alicia Vikander, Beckett sets off to their hotel. However, tragedy strikes when he dozes off at the wheel and crashes their car into an abandoned house in a mountain village in Epirus. The accident claims April’s life, but amidst the wreckage, Beckett catches a glimpse of a boy being whisked away by a mysterious blonde woman.

The following day, local police officer Panos Koronis as Officer Xenakis interrogates Beckett. While he expresses relief that the house was vacant, Beckett confides in him about the boy and the woman he saw. After the police encounter, Beckett returns to the scene with suicidal intent, but the blonde woman, Lena Kitsopoulou, interrupts him and opens fire. A desperate chase ensues, forcing Beckett to jump off a cliff to evade her and Xenakis, both of whom are determined to capture him.

Spending a restless night in an abandoned truck, Beckett is discovered by hunters who take him back to the village, where one helps treat his injuries. However, holed up in a house, he leaps out of a window to avoid another confrontation with the woman and Xenakis. Struggling to survive, he encounters a couple of beekeepers who lend him a phone to call the U.S. embassy in Athens. Yet, with their response indicating a 24-hour wait for help, Beckett decides to make his own way there.

His journey sees him board a train heading back to Athens, but trouble finds him again when Xenakis attempts to detain him. In the ensuing chaos, Beckett pulls the emergency brake, accidentally injuring Xenakis in the process before fleeing once more. Once in Athens, he learns about the kidnapped boy, Dimos Karras, from activists Vicky Krieps as Lena and Maria Votti as Eleni, who claim he is the son of a liberal politician in grave danger from a far-right faction entrenched within the police.

After parting ways with Lena and Eleni to avoid a police roadblock, Beckett navigates the subway to reach the U.S. embassy, where he faces another assault—this time by a man with a knife. Inside, he’s met by embassy staffer Boyd Holbrook as Tynan, who reveals that April’s body has been sent to the morgue. Beckett shares what he knows about Dimos and the activists, only for Tynan to suggest taking him to a reliable cop for help. However, after stepping outside, Tynan betrays him with a taser, prompting Beckett to escape yet again.

Reuniting with Lena and Eleni during a protest, Beckett warns them about Tynan, who soon arrives with the police in pursuit. This chaos culminates at a political rally, where gunfire erupts. Beckett finds temporary refuge in a basement but is confronted by Tynan, who reveals that Dimos’ father has just been assassinated. The twisted roots of political corruption and organized crime come to light, implicating the U.S. in a plot against Karras.

Despite Tynan’s assurances that he can leave now that Karras is dead, Beckett refuses to let the truth go unchallenged and knocks Tynan out. As he searches for Lena and Eleni, he spots the blonde woman again—finding her meeting with Xenakis, who has locked Dimos in his car’s trunk. A struggle ensues, during which Beckett gets shot but ultimately overpowers the woman and confronts Xenakis. In a harrowing climax, he manages to free Dimos, jumping onto the car from a high vantage point and knocking out Xenakis in the process.

In a poignant final moment, Beckett reflects on the heart that April had drawn on his palm before the accident, a symbol of love amidst the chaos that surrounded them, and contemplates the fragility of life, realizing the debt he feels towards fate for surviving.

Last Updated: November 15, 2024 at 18:18