[Review] Above Suspicion(2020) {6/10}

Starring Emilia Clarke (Susan Smith), Jack Huston (Mark Putnam) and Sophie Lowe (Kathy Putnam), Phillip Noyce adapts Joe Sharkey's True-Crime Book 'Above Suspicion' with the screenplay written by Chris Gerdmo. The story revolves around an FBI Agent Mark Putnam(Jack Huston), who has an affair with his informant Susan Smith(Emilia Clarke) who is also a Kentucky Drug Dealer. Susan sees Mark as her romantic gateway out of a dead-end life.

Living in an economically devasted country where the funeral business and drug trade are the only ways to make money, Susan is also engaged in some sort of welfare fraud. She is not even a partner with her Ex-Husband in supplying pills and powders to the neighbors every payday. One day she was walking down the side-walk drinking cough syrup when she sees a man who seems to have stepped out of a perfect world. Mark Putnam(Jack Huston) is a newly arrived FBI Officer at the Pikeville, Kentucky with wife Kathy(Sophie Lowe) and their baby. Hoping for early promotions, he immediately sets his eyes on catching a serial bank robber.

As the story develops, Susan becomes Agent Putnam's Informant. She is genuinely committed to a fantasy in which she will win his heart, have his babies, stop doing drugs and start a new life with him. She manages to get him into bed. Soon they are going to every motel and back seat available within an hour's drive. Mark eventually gets his promotion and therefore had to movie into another city with his family leaving Susan alone and vulnerable. Susan is then attacked by various gang members and drug dealers as she had snitched on them by working with FBI as an informant. Soon the movie takes some violent twists and turns which results in a fatal conclusion.

Though the supporting performances are unimpeachable, 'Above Suspicion' fails to connect. The story is very simple. There are some scenes that are sad and painful to watch. Emilia Clarke's performance is terrific which makes the movie a decent watch.

Above Suspicion is currently available in selected theatres. It will soon be released on VOD and DVD, though a U.S. release date hasn’t been announced yet.