Trance is a 2013 British psychological thriller from the Director of 28 Days Later, Slumdog Millionaire, Shallow Grave and Trainspotting.
Simon (James McAvoy), a fine art auctioneer, teams up with a criminal gang to steal a Goya painting worth millions of dollars, but after suffering a blow to the head during the heist he awakens to discover he has no memory of where he hid the painting. When physical threats and torture fail to produce answers, the gang’s leader Frank (Vincent Cassel) hires hypnotherapist Elizabeth Lamb (Rosario Dawson) to delve into the darkest recesses of Simon’s psyche.
As Elizabeth begins to unravel Simon’s broken subconscious, the lines between truth, suggestion, and deceit begin to blur.
Trance Reviews
“A devious mind game, Trance is also the most entertaining smart movie so far this year.” Time
“Sprinting to the edge of preposterousness and back, this deliriously entertaining day-glo noir of fried brains and blown fuses denotes a director at the top of his game.” Total Film
“This exhilarating brain-twister is a nonstop visual, aural and intellectual delight, steeped in movie conventions and yet fizzing with freshness. It’s what happens when film noir goes out to a rave.” New York Post
“A frisky, feisty heist flick with brains and charisma” New York Daily News
“Though it rings ever so slightly hollow as cool shades into callousness, this exercise in sexy suspense and brain-scrambling mystery is a dazzling, absorbing entertainment which shows off Danny Boyle’s mastery of complex storytelling and black, black humour.” Empire
“The film's not merely content with being a twisty psycho-thriller. Boyle and Hodge expertly tweak and tinker with your sympathies, and the characters you initially peg as heroes and villains may not be in the same place by the time things wrap up.” The Playlist
“A trippy variation on the dream-within-a-dream movie, Boyle’s return-to-form crimer constantly challenges what audiences think they know” Variety
“Multi-layered and beautifully-filmed by Oscar winner Danny Boyle, this drama lets viewers into the world of art and hypnosis in a tale that should be talked about long after the credits roll.” Big Hollywood
“I floated in and out of states that included suspense, surprise, delight and shock, all of them adding up to steady-state enjoyment.” Wall Street Journal