The 2019 movie “Fractured” starring Sam Worthington and Lily Rabe (of “American Horror Story” fame) is directed by Brad Anderson from a screenplay by Alan B. McElroy. “Fractured” is a story about a man (Ray Monroe, played by Worthington) who becomes convinced that the hospital he has taken his family to is holding his family hostage for nefarious reasons. His quest throughout the movie is to find them, come hell or high-water. What he finds is straight out of left field….unless you were expecting the ending. Which I did, rather soon into the movie.
Despite being rather predictable, I did like this movie. What starts out as a tense Thanksgiving-weekend country drive for an obviously squabbling couple (Worthington, Rabe) and their young 6-year-old daughter, Peri (played by Lucy Capri), goes awry when they stop at a gas station for a bathroom break and some batteries. At the gas station, Ray struggles with the decision to buy either batteries or booze. (Later, we learn that Ray is an alcoholic, sober for 8 years). He comes out saying that the store is out of batteries, leading us, as viewers, to assume he did purchase the alcohol, but we never see him actually drink it.
The gas station is where everything starts. Peri, curious and upset about a missing toy, leaves the vehicle to look for her lost compact, while her mom goes back into the restroom to look for it. Ray tells Peri that there are no batteries (even though there were! He just didn’t buy them!) so Peri, saddened, starts wandering around the grounds, which seem to be under construction. Ray notices and pleas with her to come back. A mangy dog appears between them. Ray does his best to distract the dog, going as far as throwing a rock at it. The entire time, Peri is backing up, towards a hole. As soon as Ray throws the rock, she falls, and Ray falls too, in an attempt to capture her.
Inside the hole, Ray is relieved to discover that his daughter is fine, although she does seem to have broken her arm. The mother joins them, obviously displeased. They decide to rush Peri to the closest hospital, which Ray had seen a sign for just a few miles away. The frightened couple takes their injured daughter there.
Once at the hospital, things got even more difficult. Ray is having a hard time getting his daughter checked in as there are many people waiting to be seen. At last, after finally agreeing to pay cash (the hospital doesn’t take his insurance) Peri is seen and yes, has a broken arm. The doctor is concerned that she may have a concussion and recommends a cat scan.
As soon as Peri and her mother go to have the cat scan done, that is when Ray loses his cool. Suddenly the mood shifts and Ray is certain that something bad is going on. He waits… And waits… Nothing. No family reappears. Now Ray is determined to find them, as well as determined to prove that the hospital is up to no good.
What ensues next is Ray’s search for his wife and child. He confronts the hospital staff, who claim that Ray had been admitted earlier, for a car accident. Ray remembers nothing of this and his conviction that the hospital is lying and keeping his family from him deepens.
At last, Ray is able to convince a pair of police officers that he’s in need of their help. The officers questioned the hospital, to no avail. The hospital staff is sticking to their story that Ray came in alone and was treated for a head injury after a car accident.
Desperate, Ray then tells them about the gas station and what happened there. And that is where the story completely unravels. I’m not going to spoil the ending, but I will say this: it ended as I expected.
Rated 58% on Rotten Tomatoes, this movie is worth a watch despite the predictably of the script and some of the bad reviews it received. It is not exactly horror, but it’s definitely a psychological thriller.
So, grab some popcorn, and see for yourself the twisted ending that “Fractured” comes to a close with. Have fun!
Written by Mandie Stevens
