The Factory

Plot synopsis:
In Buffalo, New York, a man named Carl picks up a prostitute and takes her to his home. When he spots that she is transsexual, he angrily murders her, cuts up the body, and places the pieces in a freezer. Meanwhile, Mike Fletcher, a detective, becomes obsessed with the case, which is under threat of being shut down due to its inactivity. A troubled Thanksgiving holiday dinner reveals that he has been ignoring his family, including his rebellious daughter, Abby. Following an argument with her mother, Abby sneaks out of the house to be with her boyfriend Tad. At the diner where he works, Tad breaks up with her, and Abby runs outside. Tad sees her talk to a person in a car; when he next looks, she has disappeared. Carl kidnaps Abby and chains her up in his basement, where he keeps two other young women prisoner, Brittany and Lauren, who suffer from Stockholm Syndrome.
Mike and his partner, Kelsey Walker, immediately investigate Abby's disappearance. Although he initially denies any knowledge of Abby's disappearance, Tad shows up at the police station the next day and identifies Darrell, a former suspect and Carl's co-conspirator, who he saw at the diner. Mike and Kelsey interrogate Darrell, but Mike physically assaults him and is taken off the case. Mike breaks into Darrell's house and finds a list of pharmaceuticals that Darrell has supplied to Carl, before Kelsey shows up to back him up. He takes the list to the hospital and has a brief conversation with Carl, who works as a cook there. Darrell's boss tells Mike that Darrell has not shown up for work and the list of drugs is written by a non-professional. Mike calls the company on the back of the list in the hope of finding him, but they are too busy to immediately respond.
That night, a snow storm shuts down the airport and forces Darrell to stay in town. Mike and Kelsey track Darrell to a hotel but find Darrell dead and circumstantial evidence planted by Carl pointing to him as the kidnapper. Mike receives a call from the company, which turns out to be a catering company. He pieces that together with details of Carl's description by a would-be victim and realizes that Carl is the killer. He and Kelsey make their way to Carl's house as Kelsey reports it over the phone. Meanwhile, Abby, who had framed Brittany for breaking Carl's rules, convinces him that Brittany was just celebrating the fact she is pregnant, and Abby takes Brittany's place for a special dinner he had planned; she uses this opportunity to stab him with a corkscrew. Carl throws her back into the basement, where a pregnant Lauren's water has broken. Due to her immobility, she asks Abby to help cut the baby out.
Mike and Kelsey arrive at the house and find plenty of evidence, including a nursery with several babies in it. They hear noises from below, and, searching for the basement, Mike briefly talks to Abby over the house intercom. Abby tells him that Carl keeps the basement door key around his neck. Mike confronts and shoots Carl, but Kelsey picks up Carl's discarded shotgun and shoots Mike, revealing that she was with Carl the entire time (as she was Carl's first victim); her infertility left them unable to have children, so he set up the operation to kidnap prostitutes and force them to have children. Carl dies, but before Kelsey kills Mike, he reveals that Abby is pregnant. Kelsey frees Abby and takes Lauren's just-born baby, assuring them that they're safe. Carl's nursery, which is now empty. Weeks later, Kelsey, using a new name, is shown to have moved to another city with the missing babies. She leaves a phone message to Abby in which she congratulates Abby on her expectant motherhood, which Abby later listens to, including the sound of a baby crying in the background.

Tags: murder

Review:
I really had to think about how I would rate this one because MANY times I read horrible reviews of films that are made very well, but the 'reviewer' just didn't like it so obviously it's just crap.
And of course as ALWAYS Cusack's performance was good (although, quite honestly he DID look like he was kinda sleepwalking through most of it) Now, as far as the 'Ending'...
I wouldn't put it that strongly but I personally think it could have been worked a little better than just kind of attached onto the end of an otherwise competent film; and then the continuing scenes after that also not really quite matching the quality of the rest of the movie.So, again, is it well made?
But, if you can take the ending with a teaspoon or two of salt and just enjoy the intensity, pacing, and entertainment value of the majority of the movie, then you might like it..
Well, I'll leave it up to each viewer to determine whether this film paid off, for me, it didn't.This movie can only work if you accept the amazing coincidence that forms the basis of the story, but then you find that you have to accept a lot more coincidences.
I have a feeling that the whole ending was grafted on as an afterthought and then the screenplay was readjusted to it.I watched this movie primarily because John Cusack was in it and that gave it a certain credibility.
Hollywood veteran John Cusack is detective Mike Fletcher, a maverick cop who has a hard time playing by the rules at the best of times, let alone when trying to find his missing daughter.
Mistaken for a streetwalker by the creepy-for-the-sake-of-being-creepy Gary Gemeaux (Dallas Roberts), Abby Fletcher (Mae Whitman) is thrown into a makeshift dungeon with a couple of other inmates who are forced to produce children for a mysterious benefactor.Cusack and Roberts make an honourable effort despite an uninspired script, but that is the only highlight to draw from this film.
And the basic story here is a little contrived from the get-go, even without the holes in the plot.The idea of a pair of cops pursuing a mysterious serial killer is a cliché of the movies, of course (including "Seven" which didn't invent the idea).
But the basic whodunnit is intact and the great filming makes it pulse along pretty well.The main character is John Cusack who holds his end up well--he's probably a better goofy dad than a relentless cop but he's decent at both.
The daughter is another story, a surprisingly complex character and a good young actress (Mae Whitman, famous for her role in "Parenthood" more than anything, I think).
But he's really squandering the good feeling with "The Factory" and looks throughout like he's embarrassed to be part of something so intensely pathetic and which insults the intelligence of its audience so catastrophically - but you still took the cheque, didn't you, John?
It's a world in which people are sliced open and drowned but are okay two minutes later.I hate myself for seeing this film through until the jaw-droppingly ludicrous final twist.
So this movie was kind of my niche, and I still watched it despite it being a straight-to-DVD film.
I read some reviews during that time, and I knew there would be a major plot twist at the end.
I think anyone who enjoys SAW movies will like this film.
You know, the story where a father is on a case which ends up involving him because the daughter becomes a victim, but just as you think you've worked out how it will go, BAM, a massive plot twist which you never see coming!
A truly great film and that plot twist just made the movie so much more enjoyable.
Very good story and a great twist at the end.
Cusack is good as usual, but the movie has a great ending and is a nice little thriller.
Pretty in Pink is a much better choice if you are looking for John Cusack movies.
Loving films like "Silence of the Lambs" and "Se7ven", I was nervous walking into the cinema to watch the first screening of "The Factory"...
This movie is built up in a very nice way that slowly builds up suspense and feeds the audience bits and pieces along the way.What appealed to me about this movie was the storyline, and the way that director Morgan O'Neill managed to entice the audience with the way that the story was presented and still managed to put in some really genius plot twists along the way.The storyline in "The Factory" was alpha and omega in the movie, but the good cast also helped the movie along quite nicely.
It was essentially John Cusack who made me sit down and watch this movie, but it turned out to be Dallas Roberts who ended up carrying the movie with his phenomenal performance as Carl.I can't claim to be familiar with the true story upon which this movie is based, but the events that took place in the movie were portrayed nicely and realistic.
And the fact that some of this actually happened to a certain degree is just disturbing."The Factory" might be slow paced, but it is an outstanding movie that really should be watched if you enjoy crime thrillers.
I would have like to have seen a bit more of her in this film, since the true message of this movie is ultimately about family.
John Cusack has given good performances in past movies, but he's really miscast here.
First off I have to say 'The Factory' has one of the best unexpected plot twists I've seen in a long time.
Why You Might Like It: If you enjoy serial killer movies and thrillers, then you will want to see this film.
The movie has a great pace and flow and you won't find yourself slipping into boredom.Why You Might Not Like It: While the cast is notable with Cusack and Carpenter, it also doesn't scream star power.
There are better serial killer movies out there, but this one does manage to be entertaining.Acting/Casting: 6* Directing/Cinematography/Technical: 6.5*Plot/Characters: 7* Entertainment Value: 6.5* Total - 6+6.5+7+6.5 = 26/4 = 6.5* - Well worth a rental.
I like anything with John Cusack and he did not let me down in this movie.
The writers of this script need to be awarded an Oscar, John Cusack is awesome as always, and Jennifer Carpenter...mark...my...words...one day, Jennifer Carpenter will have her very own star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame...right next to Nicholson, Brando, Pacino, De Niro, Hopkins...hands-down one of the most talented actresses of our time.
I'm not even good at figuring out 'who's the killer?' that's why i really enjoyed the Scream movies and a few films in the 'Giallo' Italian genre.
However, this movies plot is so boring and unimpressive that you will truly feel dumber for having sat through it.To make a movie with even this kind of budget and have the audacity to try and beef the thing up enough for an extended runtime in what is clearly an effort to lull you to boredom before trampling over every other crime/thriller cliché you've seen in the past 60 years.
Very mild violence, mild language, zero nudity, and a completely unbelievable John Cusack starring as the 'tough guy cop trying to find his daughter.' The bottom line is that this could easily have been a Lifetime movie and even though i'm guilty for having sat through a few of those in the past two decades, they're not what mystery/thriller/horror fans are looking for.
John Cusack is a strong lead in this film, not a great stand-out performance but nonetheless not bad either.
John Cusack and Mae Whitman turn in some good performances, and the Story's Not Bad up until the last 10 minutes or so...Ending IS a Surprise, but Very Unsatisfying....
There are several twists in the plot that I couldn't guess (and I am fairly good at that) and I couldn't have come up with the ending at all.
But the script is quite arid and uneven, and the movie is watchable thanks to John Cusack as Mike Fletcher and Dallas Roberts as Gary Gemeaux, above all; female performers were uninviting to me.
I'm glad I did.Most reviewers bashed the movie with the exception of the "twist" at the end.
John Cusack acted well as almost always.Dallas Roberts was great in his role, which surprised me.
If you aren't a big John Cusack fan, you probably won't enjoy it anyway.The film has a lot less plot holes than people say it does, but still has a fair number of them.
They also could have shortened the movie with getting rid of some completely unnecessary and dull scenes.I was a bit disappointed in Jennifer Carpenter's performance because I want to see her get into a role she hasn't done before.
I think she could do a lot better than this, and her typecast is holding her back.Despite most of the movie being predictable with obvious foreshadowing, there were a few things I didn't expect to happen.
We get John Cusack, which I have grown to like, especially after starring in '1408', and Jennifer Carpenter (the girl from Dexter), who is becoming the most typecast actor ever - doesn't she have anything else to offer than this sort of thing?
There is an end twist; it took me by surprise - which is good - but simply because it didn't make sense - which is bad...In all, it left me empty and disappointed..
There are a few sketchy bits in the storyline, but it definitely a watchable movie with some great performances, especially from John Cusack.
I don't know if it will be as good without the major star, but if the director pieces it together properly, it has the makings of a great movie.
Anyway, I know that a lot of people wouldn't have heard of this film so I hope that people will watch it after reading my review so I can heard other people's opinions.Budget: $30million Worldwide Gross: N/AI recommend this movie to people who are into their deep drama/thrillers about cop whose investigating the disappearance of hookers, only to find out that his daughter has gone missing.
It was a tremendous story, but what I didn't like is that you knew exactly who the suspect was and where he worked right from the beginning of the film, there was no mystery too it, but the writer makes up for that with a twist in the end that I promise you won't see coming.
Sometimes you don't know what's going to happen, but you have in your mind the way you want the story to end, and when the film all of a sudden goes in a completely different direction at the very end, you start to wonder if you didn't see it sooner, because it just wasn't written well enough.
The basic plot has Cusack and his partner working a series of unsolved disappearances of women, and along the way his teenage daughter gets kidnapped by the same perpetrator.
"I'm doing you a favor, I'm doing everyone a favor." Mike Fletcher (Cusack) is a cop who has been looking for a serial killer (Roberts) for a long time with no luck.
However, the twist the movie delivers, and it's final conclusion, ultimately end up completely derailing this film and turning it into a train wreck of absurdity.At the end you feel like you've watched two different movies, and in this case that's not a good thing.There's also some really annoying plot/character issues which start to appear prior to the moment of the movie-derailing twist (looking back now these were warning signs of what was about to unfold).For example, the daughter goes from being a frightened and confused teenage captive to being the solid rock/savior for the other victims within a matter of scenes, before finally ending the film in the role of avenging angel.Then there's the confusing motivation of the antagonist - why does he need so many babies?
At the end of the day this movie just didn't know what it wanted to be - a dark serial killer mystery with a touch of gritty realism, or an escapist thriller with a mega twist.If it had just chosen one or other of these two paths it would have probably worked a lot better, but because it tried to do too much, the plot twist and final ending, which would have been great in an escapist thriller, actually end up completely sabotaging the film..
John Cusack's jacket is better than the movie itself..
That is the also case with "The Factory".This is a B-grade thriller with an uninspired script, cardboard-cutout characters and a twist.I don't usually have problems with movies in which you know everything about the plot before the main characters do, because a movie can be predictable and solid at the same time, but here it's all over the place.
Yes, one character was made bland on purpose probably to BETTER SUIT THE HORRIFYING TWIST SO YOU WOULDN'T SEE IT COMING, but you still a) see it coming and b) know it's lazy writing.I never was a fan of Jennifer Carpenter, and this film certainly doesn't help.
Again, I can't blame the actors that much (even if I will blame them a little), the writing and directing just...it's so mediocre that it shows in everything.That said, I did watch it to the end and I got to see some John Cusack.
These are two excellent movies to plagiarise.The twist, ridiculous as it is, is good and i didn't see it coming.
What bothered me most was the ending - i really liked it, since John Cusack died and was betrayed by his partner Kelsey.
first of all its a one of my favorite film so many people gave negative reviews as Cusack tries but unfortunately flop, this movie is so bad, this movie is a very poorly written like this so many negative and unrealistic review people r telling but thanks god i not focus all those reviews so finally i bought this movie and watched it oh god its incredible and now became one of my favourite,s movie to a great thriller story is about Detective Mike Fletcher , a rugged and obsessive police officer,and his partner Kelsey Walker , r on the trail of a serial killer who prowls the streets targeting young streetwalkers .when his teenager daughter disappears Fletcher discovers that the killer has kidnapped her after mistaking her for a prostitute .
The story line is great.I definitely feel the need to give this movie a 10 star rating.
Sophomore director Morgan O'Neill's bizarre but lukewarm hostage thriller "The Factory" qualifies as John Cusack's worst movie.
John Cusack is joined by Jennifer Carpenter as Fletcher and Walker, two detectives who are after a serial killer who murders prostitutes.
In not the first nor last of the films great many clichés, things hit closer to home after Fletcher's daughter, Egg, gets abducted.Cusack, whom hasn't been in a good film (excluding arguably Hot Tub Time Machine) since High Fidelity, doesn't see that sad trend ending anytime soon with this release of a movie that has justifiably been sitting in a vault for a good half-decade before being given a unceremonious straight to DVD release.
He also kills a "pre-op transgender prostitute." (The best surprise is no surprise.) Mike Fletcher (John Cusack) and Kelsey Walker (Jennifer Carpenter) are two Buffalo detectives assigned to find the missing girls.
When Abby (Mae Whitman), Mike's prostitute looking daughter, becomes the latest missing victim, Mike crosses the line to find her.First off, I love John Cusack, but he is no Liam Neeson.
This ties to a twist which made the film er, um...silly.The movie is a "B" grade crime/drama/thriller.
The good news for the movie is that it started to get better and the twists and turns were a little more watchable around the halfway mark.
He has star power in the form of Cusack and a second half of a film significantly better than the first and a twist that actually works so its not a complete write off.
The Factory isn't the worst movie I ever watched, it's not the best either.
Aided by Kelsey and using the involvement by Darryl an assistant who works at the hospital and that has a link with the killer, giving him the medications he needs to fulfill his plans he will begin a race against time but his feeling and the love for Abby will make him give up or will be able to bring his daughter back home?After a promising start the film begins to lose its action gradually becomes dull with stupid long and unnecessary scenes, towards the end has a twist but will only wake us up a little bit from our sleep after we nearly dozed off.And what up with that painful song from the ending credits?
The film throws a lame twist ending our way.
So far, all you need to know is, that the ending is not the average "good guys win, bad guys go to jail, everyone else lives happily ever after" ending.Plot: A police detective investigating the disappearance and potential murder of multiple hookers is drawn personally in the case when his daughter goes missing under the same conditions.
What makes this plot good is that the film gives a lot of weight on the characters.
I think for this movie, the ending was actually quite good.
I watched this movie, because of John Cusack and also Jennifer Carpenter (I was really curious to see her in a role other than Dexter), and she played almost the same role as Debbie, minus all the cursing...
This movie had me glued to the chair, right up until the ridiculous "twist" ending.
If the movie ended 5 minutes earlier, I think the reviews would have been much better.