Nicole Kidman shines in her glorious physical and emotional transformation into the role of Erin Bell, a performance that has already earned her a Golden Globe nomination. A corrupt police detective, haggard from years of heavy drinking and street trauma, Bell is haunted by memories of a past undercover assignment in Palm Springs that went wrong. When a mysterious piece of evidence appears, suggesting that one of the skeletons in her closet has come back and means business, she jumps into action, shaking down all her previous informants. As we watch the action unfold over two tight timelines, the layers of Erin are peeled like an onion and the truth begins to come into focus. Director Karyn Kusama manages to pull off the previously unimaginable - she brings together a hard-boiled thriller that is genderless, keeping the same edge on Kidman as you would see on Sam Spade or Philip Marlowe. The result is an electrifying film that pulls no punches and keeps you guessing until the very end.

Director Karyn Kusama