Finding Steve McQueen (2019)

Director: Mark Steven Johnson
Stars: Rachael Taylor, Travis Fimmel, Jake Weary
Runtime: 91 minutes

Synopsis: In 1972, a gang of close-knit thieves from Youngstown, Ohio attempt to steal $30 million in illegal contributions and blackmail money from President Richard Nixon's secret fund.

Performances: 2/5
Screenplay: 1/5
Costumes/Makeup: 3/5
Editing: 2/5
Cinematography: 3/5
Score/Soundtrack: 2/5

Verdict: Somewhere, hidden within the depths of this movie, is an interesting story. Alas, the tale of the biggest heist to ever be conducted in the US never reached the surfaced. Far from it.

Set in 1972, "Finding Steve McQueen" (which has absolutely nothing to do with the famous actor) follows a group of thieves in their attempt to steal $30 million from President Richard Nixon's secret fund in Ohio. Seems interesting, right? Well, think again, because unfortunately the project was handed to Mark Steven Johnson, the man responsible for the atrocities that are 2003's "Daredevil" and 2007's "Ghost Rider". "Finding Steve McQueen", much like the two movies I just cited, is fundamentally broken. Instead of highlighting the scale of the robbery and the meticulous planning behind it, Johnson made a chaotic, confusing, goofy parody of the story that reminds us every couple of minutes that it's set in the 1970s through unnecessary references. I somehow left the theater knowing less about the heist than I did going in. The movie doesn't even offer anything new from a technical point of view, as the cinematography was basic, the editing needlessly confusing, and acting, especially from Travis Fimmel (who plays Ragnar in "Vikings") at times so ridiculously bad that I genuinely started to question his soberness while shooting his scenes.

"Finding Steve McQueen" was an immense disappointment, filled with dialogue that reminded me occasionally of the dialogue featured in Tommy Wiseau's "The Room". It's only 90 minutes long but feels much, much longer. It's a movie I'm hopelessly trying to forget, as I do believe that the story will be remade in the future by a more talented team.

FINAL GRADE: 2/10