A great must-watch thriller, that will make you think more than you thought

Rating: 9/10 (6 August 2017)

I watched this movie out of curiosity to see, what kind of a movie this was. And I was not disappointed.
Collateral is one of the most best thrillers/dramas I've ever watched. In fact, Collateral is one of the most best movies in my book. Now, I'll just list some of the things and aspects that made this movie marvelous: Composition: Rarely does a movie have a compelling or post-pounding soundtrack, that sends you chills down your spines. But James Newton Howard's ost provides suspense and dread. Antonio Pinto's ending theme is actually one of the things that I remember about this movie. It's a soundtrack you just have to hear an experience.
Cinematography: Filming is something I don't usually drag on to, but since this movie had an exceptionally great cinematography by Dion Beebe and Paul Cameron. There are multiple static shots and especially the scenes inside the cab are well made to keep it interesting. As I said, this is something that hardly ever interests me, but it blew me away in this instance.
Acting: One thing that Collateral also succeeds in is the acting. The phenomenal performances are done by Jamie Foxx, who later on earned a well-earned Oscar and Tom Cruise, who plays a different character in this movie than usually. Tom's characters are usually the same, which has become into something of a habit in Cruise's career. However, here he plays a cool guy in disguise as a cold sociopathic killer. The chemistry between Foxx and Cruise is well done and presented in a way that could even happen in reality. That is what makes Foxx's performance, particularly spectacular. This is not to say that Tom couldn't'tve earned an Oscar, because well, he could've.
Plot: Something as out of the ordinary as this, the story manages to stay original and engaging at the same time. There are many movies, where the idea is present and fresh, but nothing is done with it. Here, coupled with the cinematography, Mann manages to keep the audience guessing and biting their fingernails. Throughout the movie, the characters are set into dangerous situations, which require quick thinking and awareness. The suspense is real and the inevitable consequences are left for surprises, that lurk in every scene.
Final words: I enjoyed this movie, love it and I'm kinda a sad as to how underrated it is compared to some of the older classics. The only things that made it not so great were the few clichés and whatnot, but every movie has it's mistakes. Its only 13 years old, but gold nonetheless. I warmly recommend this movie to anyone, who has a thirst for thrillers, Tom Cruise or Jamie Foxx. I give it 9/10: Astounding.