Hypnotic

Hypnotic is a 2023 American science fiction action thriller film directed by Robert Rodriguez, who co-wrote the screenplay with Max Borenstein. The film stars Ben Affleck, Alice Braga, J. D. Pardo, Hala Finley, Dayo Okeniyi, Jeff Fahey, Jackie Earle Haley and William Fichtner. Rodriguez also produced, co-shot, and edited the film, while his sons Rebel and Racer Max served as composer and producer, respectively.
Hypnotic is scheduled to be theatrically released in the United States on May 12, 2023, by Ketchup Entertainment. The film received mixed reviews from critics. 
==Plot==
Danny Rourke, an Austin Police Department detective, recalls to his therapist the abduction of his seven-year-old daughter, Minnie, which led to the dissolution of his marriage. Afterwards, he is picked up by his partner, Nicks, who informs him they have received an anonymous tipoff that a safe deposit box at a bank will be robbed. At the stakeout, they witness a mysterious man give unheard instructions to civilians, bank employees, and fellow police, who seemingly follow his commands as he enters the bank. Rourke races him to the targeted safe deposit box, finding a picture of Minnie with the message "Find Lev Dellrayne" written on it. Rourke pursues the man to a rooftop, where he witnesses him command two police officers to shoot each other as he escapes. 
Convinced the heist has something to do with the disappearance of his daughter, Rourke investigates. Forensics lead Rourke to the address of fortuneteller Diana Cruz. After he describes the man from the heist a client of Cruz's, under the control of the man from the bank, drives a motorcycle through Cruz's window before killing himself. Rourke takes Cruz into custody. She explains that the mysterious man from the bank is named "Lev Dellrayne". He and Cruz are escaped "Hypnotics": powerful hypnotists trained by a secretive government "Division" to control people's minds. Rourke is mysteriously immune to their control. Meanwhile Dellrayne, outside the station, commands Nicks to attack Rourke and Cruz, who kill him in self-defense.
Rourke and Cruz flee to Mexico. There, they learn from a former Division contact Jeremiah that Dellrayne is seeking "Domino", a powerful weapon developed by the Division, stolen, and hidden by Dellrayne when he escaped. Dellrayne then wiped his own memory and left behind "triggers" prompting him to gradually recall Domino's location and regain his own hypnotic power. Dellrayne eventually reveals himself to be Jeremiah in disguise and pursues Rourke and Cruz through a hypnotically constructed environment before Rourke taps into hitherto unknown hypnotic power, allowing them to escape.
Rourke and Cruz seek out River, a reclusive Division hacker, who discovers Rourke's wife Vivian in a Division database. Later, Rourke investigates River's database himself, and discovers that Minnie is Domino, the daughter of two powerful hypnotics: Rourke and Cruz (who is revealed to be Vivian). As "Cruz" interrupts him, Rourke realizes that the room and all of the events up to this point have been constructs. He wakes up in a large room populated by Division agents, all of whom he has seen throughout the constructed story, including Nicks and "Dellrayne," revealed to be the Division's Director. 
Vivian and the Director explain that Rourke and Vivian are both hypnotics, and their daughter Minnie was born and raised within the Division, but that he escaped with her to stop her from becoming their weapon. Hiding her and then wiping his memory, Rourke no longer remembers where she is, and the Division has been putting him through constructs of the search for her to make him remember. Rourke is plugged back into the construct, where he repeats the session with his therapist and the stakeout at the bank heist. However, Rourke soon escapes using his own powers and flees as the Division realizes that "Find Lev Dellrayne" refers not to a person but "Deer Valley Lane:" the location of a ranch where Rourke's foster parents have been hiding Minnie.
Rourke arrives at the ranch and is reunited with Minnie, who has now aged three years and is in full control of her powers. The Division surround the ranch but it is all revealed to be another construct of Minnie's creation. Minnie restores Vivian's memories that she was involved in Rourke and Minnie's escape, but wiped her memory so that when Minnie was powerful enough to defeat the entire Division at once, Vivian could unwittingly lead them to her. Minnie forces the Division agents to wipe each other out, and she, her parents, and Rourke's foster parents celebrate their newfound freedom.
In a mid-credits scene, the Director is revealed to have survived, having constructed Rourke's foster-father to look like him during the fight with Minnie.
==Cast==
==Production==
===Development===
Robert Rodriguez had written the initial screenplay for Hypnotic back in 2002, calling it "one of my favorite stories". In November 2018, Rodriguez was confirmed to direct, with Max Borenstein rewriting the original script for Studio 8. In November 2019, it was reported that Studio 8 would co-produce with Solstice Studios, which had domestic distribution rights.
===Casting===
In November 2019, Ben Affleck was set to star. In May 2021, Alice Braga was added, with filming set to begin on September 20 in Austin, Texas. In September 2021, Hala Finley joined the cast. In October 2021, it was reported Dayo Okeniyi, William Fichtner and JD Pardo had signed on.
===Filming===
Principal photography began in Austin on September 27, 2021, and concluded on November 19 of the same year.
===Post-production===
In April 2022, Rodriguez confirmed that, similar to his previous films, he and his family members collaborated on the project:
==Release==
Hypnotic was originally scheduled to be released theatrically in the United States by Solstice Studios. In March 2023, it was reported that Ketchup Entertainment would serve as the domestic distributor after Solstice Studios shut down in late-2022. A "work-in-progress" cut of the film was screened at South by Southwest on March 12, 2023. That same month, it was announced that the film would be released in the United States on May 12, 2023.
===Critical response===
 
==References==
==External links==
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*Hypnotic at Solstice Studios
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Category:Films directed by Robert Rodriguez
Category:2023 films
Category:2023 science fiction action films
Category:American crime thriller films
Category:American science fiction action films
Category:American science fiction thriller films
Category:Techno-thriller films
Category:2020s English-language films
Category:Films about mind control
Category:2020s American films