Intriguing, If A Bit Manipulative

Rating: 6/10 (1 September 2017)

The best kind of psychological thrillers are the ones that drop hints throughout the movie about what the ending might turn out as. Then, there is the "next tier" of thrillers, where the ending is a bit more manipulative in the sense that it is dropped on the viewer suddenly and cannot be reasoned out along the way. "The Number 23" falls in that latter category. It isn't an all-time great psych thriller (like The Sixth Sense, Memento, or Jim Carrey's own Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind), but it does have enough mystery an interesting moments to be an entertaining watch.
For a basic plot summary, "The Number 23" tells the story of Walter Sparrow (Carrey), whose wife Agatha (Virginia Madsen) finds a book at the local bookshop entitled The Number 23. While Agatha looks at the book as "interesting fiction" and nothing more, Walter becomes obsessed with it and the number it idolizes. A colleague of Walter's, Isaac French (Danny Huston), tries to dissuade Walter of his obsession, but that only serves to heighten is paranoia about the way the story seems to be intertwining with his reality.
If taken solely at face value, "The Number 23" is a pretty good flick. It has an engaging mystery, Carrey is a great leading man, and the ending is indeed a surprise, to say the least. For those looking for a good psychological thriller from time to time, this one fits the bill.
Here's the problem for certain viewers, though: This is my favorite genre of film (and thus I have a somewhat high bar set for it), and "Number 23" doesn't quite measure up to the greats of that genre. It isn't a "smart" thriller, if you will, but rather more of a manipulative one in the sense that the twists and turns are completely out of left field and not necessary germane to the story. It comes very, very close at times, but overall (under the direction of Joel Schumacher) it doesn't quite take that "next step" into being a film I'd ever want to re-watch again.
So, I think a person's enjoyment of "The Number 23" will depend on their familiarity with the genre. If you aren't a pro, this one will get the job done. If you've "seen them all", though, this won't be at (or necessarily even near) the top of the list.