"If you were any thinner, you wouldn't exist".

Rating: 9/10 (21 June 2016)

The Machinist is a creepy movie. Christian Bale is so severely undernourished that he's uncomfortable to watch and there are a few scenes, notably some including machinery, that are almost painful viewing. You really get a feel that you are watching a man slowly unravel and that he is heading towards certain catastrophe.
And make no mistake, Bale does a very, very good job here. His Trevor Reznik is in every scene of the movie and absorbs our full attention throughout. The supporting cast are very much there to support him and the only one that has enough of an arc to mention is Jennifer Jason Leigh who does a good portrayal of Trevor's confidante Stevie.
But Trevor isn't the only lean thing here. At only 1h 39m there is not a wasted scene in the movie. It moves swiftly, relentlessly towards its (inevitable) conclusion. It becomes clear where it's headed some time before the end but it's still very satisfying to see it all come together. Every loose end is tied up without resorting to exposition or over-explaining.
A fascinating, dark and somewhat depressing character study. Very well acted, shot and edited. A solid 9 out of 10 stars.