Movie Reviews

‘One Day as a Lion’ review: Decent thriller doesn’t break away from the pack

Never gets across the finish line.

April 6, 2023

One Day as a Lion fashions itself as an homage to Quentin Tarantino and the Cowboy Brothers. Jackie Powers (Scott Caan who also wrote the film) only has a few days to hire a lawyer in order to keep his son out of prison. With the mob after him and a hostage waitress as his only companion, things just became more difficult.

Tarantino and the Coens have served as inspiration to countless films over the course of the 21st century. Naturally, their names are often used in marketing to cater to those fanbases. The flip side is unfair expectations are created. Even if a person tries to go in without any preconceived notions, the seed has already been planted.

One Day as a Lion is a fine film that never quite captures the essence of Pulp Fiction or No Country for Old Men. It has some purportedly quirky characters, and said people are not the type of people to invite over for Thanksgiving dinner, but it lacks the overpowering wit and charm. There are some funny moments and the story is an interesting one, but it is missing that one something that makes it stand out from similar movies.

The stakes are high, but individual events move too quickly. Jackie’s quest to save his son continues almost the entirety of One Day as a Lion, but any conflicts that spring up during the course of it are dealt with fairly easily. This includes a confrontation in a motel room, a shootout near the end, and the actual finale. Each scene seems like the one that will fully drag the audience in, but none ever get across the finish line.

Which is not to say it is a bad movie. The characters are just interesting enough, most of the jokes work, and the overarching plot is a good one. Even when judged by its own merits, One Day as a Lion is a decent, if unmemorable, thriller.