'The Fix' Review: Neeson, Levi's Uneven CIA Thriller — SkimNews
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- "The Fix" is directed by Israeli writer-director Guy Moshe, starring Zachary Levi as ex-CIA operative Tucker and Liam Neeson as his handler Larry.
- Tucker's squad is dismissed from the CIA after defying direct orders during the film's opening act, set during the 2021 Kabul evacuation.
- Larry's early-onset dementia prompts him to reveal top-secret intel about millions hidden in Tehran since the 1979 fall of the Shah, giving the squad a reason to reassemble.
- Tucker and his team pose as a New Zealander rug exporter and his wife (Elnaaz Norouzi's Zara) to infiltrate Iran and rescue dissident Maryam, played by Lara Wolf.
- Georgia (the country) stands in for Iran on location, with cinematographer Larry Smith's widescreen work singled out as a technical strength despite some iffy digital FX.
- The reviewer notes the film was shot before the current U.S.-Iran conflict, giving it a "somewhat anachronistic air," and criticizes its stereotyped depictions of the Iranian theocracy and a politically lopsided script that only blames Democratic presidents (Carter, Biden) for U.S. policy failures.
- Moshe's filmography includes the Cambodia-set drama "Holly" (2006), "Bunraku," and "LX 2048," with the review characterizing his career path as "unpredictable" as he searches for his metier.
Why it matters: Variety's mixed verdict frames "The Fix" as watchable but politically lopsided, singling out a screenplay whose U.S. policy critiques target only Carter and Biden while leaning on stereotypes of the Iranian regime. For a CIA-in-Tehran thriller released during an active U.S.-Iran conflict, the reviewer concludes the film reaches for an epic scope it never delivers — leaving Levi's team with another uneven genre entry rather than a breakout.
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