The 2000s were the decade of underrated thrillers that need more love, from which you can still discover hidden gems that rival the best thrillers made today. Gritty action thrillers with philosophies commenting on the state of affairs in society, characterized by excessive violence and gloomy color palettes, were the norm of the decade, which still offered refreshing genre films.

Over-the-top action movies from the 2000s can be lots of fun to watch, but the real strength in the cinematic output of the decade lies in delivering compelling plotlines that are entertaining despite plot holes and confounding character decisions. The best thriller movies of the 2000s are exceptional, but that decade’s also famous for its illogical yet entertaining action movies.

So, F. Gary Gray’s 2009 thriller, Law Abiding Citizen, starring Jamie Foxx and Gerard Butler, is no exception. It plays fast and loose with facts and logic, but it’s an entertaining watch from start to finish. The strength of the film lies in its fantastical elements, which disregard reality and rationality, instead creating a memorable spectacle that enthralls all viewers.

Law Abiding Citizen Is Full Of Plot Holes

Gerard Butler plays Clyde Alexander Shelton, a man whose wife and child are murdered in front of him by two street criminals. His attorney, Nick Rice, is played by Jamie Foxx, who is the ᴀssistant District Attorney in Philadelphia. To Clyde’s disappointment, Rice, interested in preserving his conviction rate, offers one of the criminals a deal to win the case.

A decade later, Shelton resurfaces after being suspected of having killed the killer, who got only a five-year sentence for pinning the murders on his accomplice. He keeps making deals with Rice to prove his point about the corruption in the law enforcement system, while those involved with the case of his daughter’s and wife’s murder start dying gruesome deaths.

This is one of those times the villain’s argument was right, but his actions were wrong. What’s more, they were inexplicable in the movie, which is riddled with plot holes, right up until the end, when his meticulous planning leaves a gap that allows his own bomb to be used to kill him after an uncharacteristic lapse in judgment.

The man who kills Clyde’s wife and daughter keeps saying he can’t fight fate, despite there being no fateful connection between the two. In return, Clyde lures him away, wearing a false police uniform, so he can torture him. The police officer he kidnapped to steal the uniform apparently didn’t consider the incident worth reporting, as it’s never mentioned again.

Many of the characters Clyde kills didn’t meaningfully affect the result of his case, and the means he used simply defy logic. How a robot gun goes unnoticed in a cemetery until moments before it fires at a vehicle carrying the District Attorney, we’ll never know. However, beneath the plot hole-riddled exterior is an entertaining thriller that keeps you hooked.

The Plot Holes Made Critics Hate Law Abiding Citizen

At a meager 26% Rotten Tomatoes approval rating, Law Abiding Citizen was the subject of many a critic’s disdain, who were discouraged by its lack of attention to detail. If you try tracing the logic of this film, it will certainly fall apart, and critics were quick to point this out, arguing that it’s too silly for its subject matter.

Commenting on corruption in the justice system isn’t a lighthearted task, but the unseriousness on the filmmaker’s and screenwriter’s parts is jarring. Almost every detail of the judicial process, including the fact that suspects aren’t directly taken to prison but detained in holding cells until they’re charged and convicted, is depicted inaccurately, thus undermining the strength of the film’s message.

Law Abiding Citizen is a most violent movie with disturbing scenes, but the theatrical glorification of violence doesn’t culminate in a satisfying conclusion, as Clyde is given a background of killing halfway through the movie, with ominous proclamations of destiny added to make him seemingly impossible to stop, only to then be killed with his own contraption in the climax.

Audiences Actually Love Law Abiding Citizen

However, if you’re not nitpicking and are willing to believe that a man can meticulously plan ahead to the extent of knowing which solitary confinement cell he’d be put in so he could dig up an intricate system of tunnels beforehand, then you might be in for a treat, and the 75% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes proves exactly that.

Law Abiding Citizen is a great movie to watch if you love Prison Break, even if it lacks the sharpness of the show, and loses its grip on its theme through the second act. The final twenty minutes are a complete letdown, but the buildup, especially until Clyde’s backstory is revealed, proves that there is strength in the film’s premise.

The film has the visual aesthetic of a gritty, philosophical thriller, with a dark color grading that creates an ominous atmosphere. It’s also similar to most of the Saw films and David Fincher’s Se7en, due to Clyde’s quest to prove a point and the nearly biblical nature of violence he inflicts on his victims, both of which appealed to audiences.

Law Abiding Citizen Is A Perfect Movie To Turn Your Brain Off For

The term is most commonly used to describe goofy comedy films, but Law Abiding Citizen is also ideal for switching your brain off. Once you stop trying to connect the dots, it turns into one of Gerard Butler’s best action movies, and you can enjoy what then becomes a gripping and gory thriller about a grieving man’s quest for vengeance.

Without the lapses in logic, it’d have to be a more grounded thriller, and the best setpieces wouldn’t have been possible to justify. So, the fact that Law Abiding Citizen doesn’t make any sense, isn’t a weakness. If you want to be hooked and thrilled without developing emotional or intellectual investment, Law Abiding Citizen is the perfect movie for you.