Ticking Clock
Encyclopedia
Ticking Clock is a 2011 psychological
suspense film starring Cuba Gooding Jr. and directed by Ernie Barbarash
. Filming took place in Baton Rouge, Louisiana
.
Barbarash had previously directed Gooding Jr. in Hardwired
.
The movie jumps forward 11 years to April 17, 2011. Investigative reporter Lewis Hicks (Cuba Gooding, Jr.) is struggling with a failing marriage with his wife Gina (Danielle Nicolet); a dubious relationship with short time girlfriend, District Attorney Felecia Carson (Veronica Berry) and a slumping career. When Hicks pays a surprise visit to Felecia she becomes upset when she sees he is still wearing his wedding band. She tells him she is ending the relationship due to his unwillingness to make a commitment.
Later that day the same killer from the opening scene attacks Felecia in her home, expressing anger over a case she was involved in concerning a child being abused. Felecia asks the killer if he is the boy's father and he states “No, I am his guardian angel”. Lewis arrives at Felecia's home but she is already dead and partially dissected similar to the woman in the opening scene. Lewis spots the killer and chases him into an alley where they fight. Lewis is knocked down but the killer drops a book. The killer is seen checking a pocket watch then disappears. Lewis finds the book, which he discovers to be the killer's journal. Lewis takes the journal home and reads about Felecia's killing, as well as 2 more murders that the killer plans within the next 72 hours. He writes the other two names down, but the killer arrives inexplicably at his home and takes the journal back as well as the sheet of paper with the other two names.
Lewis tries to explain to the police investigating Felecia's murder but the lead detective (played by Yancey Arias) doesn't believe him and actually suspects Lewis of the killing. Lewis discovers that he can read the names of the other two women due to the impression left by the pen on the second sheet. He tracks down the second woman, School teacher Vicki Ihrling (Adrianne Frost). He wants to keep an eye on her and pretends to ask her for a date, but she changes her mind instead going to a local bar. At the bar she is approached by the killer. As they make small talk she tells him she is a teacher, he states he knows one of her former students, an orphan boy that was returned to a boys' home after a teacher at the school reported him for abusing a stray cat. Vicki becomes nervous when she realizes she is the teacher that made and report and excuses herself to the restroom. Is the restroom she is attacked by the killer who angrily states “It was just a mangy little stray that no one would have missed”. Lewis is able to trace Vicki to the bar but again arrives too late to find her murdered also.
The police still doubt his story about the killer, Lewis' only evidence is a small piece of the killer's coat torn off during the earlier fight and a bloody fingerprint on a newspaper clipping. He sends both to a friend at a local crime lab. When he follows up she tell him the preliminary results from the DNA test on the blood only show one result. An 11-year old orphan living in a local boys' home. She also shows him that the fabric of the coat reacts to heat, a quality she has never seen before in a fabric.
Believing that the killer may be a relative of the boy Lewis goes to the home and introduces himself to the director Polly (Nicki Aycox) as a mentor for big brother program; asking to meet the boy. Polly seems hesitant as the boy has had behavioral problem and been returned by several foster families, but agrees to let Lewis meet him. She introduces Lewis to the orphan, James Keech (Austin Abrams). James seems to distrust all adults and especially dislikes the nuns at the home (whom he referrers to as 'the penguins') and is at first unreceptive to Lewis but agrees to go to the zoo. At the zoo Lewis asks James what he would like to be when he grows up, James seems unsure, but says he is good with math and would like to be an inventor, maybe even making a time machine so he could go back and fix his life. Back at the home James tells Lewis he wants to show him something, promising him to secrecy. Lewis promises and James shows him his 'private zoo'; a box with several small animals, including a mouse, a frog and a dragonfly that are all dead and partially dissected. Lewis is shocked and James becomes very upset, yelling at him to leave. Polly hears the yelling and comes into the dorm where James angrily accuses Lewis of trying to molest him. Polly does not believe the accusation as James has a history of making similar claims. Lewis starts to tells Polly about the dead animals but James angrily shouts that he promised not to tell. Lewis decides not to say anything and leaves.
Lewis deduces that the killer is not a relative of James but rather James himself, having traveled back from the future to 'fix his life'. As Lewis continues to try to stop the killer he tries to find the third woman from the journal. The evidence leads him back to the boys' home. While talking to Polly he sees her college degree on the wall and realizes she is the third woman on the killer's list, with Polly being a nickname. Lewis is arrested at the boy's home and taken to the police station. At the police station he tries to explain but the police do not believe him, still convinced he is the killer. The actual killer arrives pretending to be Lewis' lawyer. During a private conference the killer reveals to Lewis that his theory is correct, showing Lewis the pocket watch from the alley revealing it to actually be a time machine, and that he is James from the year 2032 coming back to fix his life. James uses the time machine to transport Lewis and himself to the boys' home, where he has Polly tied up on the roof.
Keech demands that Lewis get the younger James from his room, threatening to kill Polly if he doesn't. Lewis quietly enters the dorm and prepares to kill the younger James hoping to set the time-line right, but can't bring himself to kill the sleeping child. Instead, he hides James inside a restroom, and goes to the roof. Keech explains that the woman from the opening scene was his mother who was abusive so he killed her, and he has been traveling through time, killing other people in an effort to set his life right. Meanwhile James leaves the bathroom and follows Lewis to the roof. James sees his older self and asks Keech if he is his father, but Keech tells him the truth about being his future self. James gets upset that Keech plans to hurt Polly, stating she has been nice to him, but Keech tells James that Polly is about to find his “private zoo” and will send him to a mental hospital where his abuse continues.
While on the roof Keech reveals two more inventions: the small tazer like device from the opening scene is revealed to actually be a cutting torch, and the knife is shown to be an advanced motorized weapon with the serrated edge cycling like a chainsaw. During the struggle Keech drops the knife which James picks up and uses to slash Keech's leg. Keech then pushes James away but accidentally knocks him off of the roof. Keech turns to kill Lewis but as James dies from the fall Keech disappears.
During the closing scenes Lewis is seen driving. Using a voice over he explains that since James died at age 11 the time line was 'made right' and he never became the serial killer. Each of the killer's victims is shown to still be alive including James himself. We see Lewis driving past the rundown house number 633 from the start of the movie which we now know to be James's mothers house. James comes out the front door to take out the trash. The movie closes with Lewis going home to his wife and son.
Psychological thriller
Psychological thriller is a specific sub-genre of the broad ranged thriller with heavy focus on characters. However, it often incorporates elements from the mystery and drama genre, along with the typical traits of the thriller genre...
suspense film starring Cuba Gooding Jr. and directed by Ernie Barbarash
Ernie Barbarash
Ernie Barbarash is a movie producer, perhaps best known as co-producer of the films American Psycho, Cube 2: Hypercube, Prisoner of Love, The First 9½ Weeks and The Cat's Meow. Barbarash also wrote and directed Cube Zero and Stir of Echoes: The Dead Speak...
. Filming took place in Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
.
Barbarash had previously directed Gooding Jr. in Hardwired
Hardwired (film)
Hardwired is a 2009 film released straight to DVD starring Cuba Gooding, Jr., Val Kilmer, Michael Ironside and Lance Henriksen.-Plot:In the not too distant future where corporations control nearly every aspect of human life, a man named Luke is involved in a car accident that claims the life of...
.
Plot
The movie opens outside a rundown suburban house, we see the house number 633 on the front porch post. Inside the house a woman is seen viciously murdered and partially dissected in the bath tub. As the killer (Neal McDonough) washes his hands a large knife can be seen in the sink and the killer holds a small pen shaped device that sparks similar to a tazer. Nearby a baby starts to cry. The killer approaches the baby. Despite the savagery of his attack on the woman he is surprisingly gentle with the baby, comforting him and saying, “she can't hurt you anymore”.The movie jumps forward 11 years to April 17, 2011. Investigative reporter Lewis Hicks (Cuba Gooding, Jr.) is struggling with a failing marriage with his wife Gina (Danielle Nicolet); a dubious relationship with short time girlfriend, District Attorney Felecia Carson (Veronica Berry) and a slumping career. When Hicks pays a surprise visit to Felecia she becomes upset when she sees he is still wearing his wedding band. She tells him she is ending the relationship due to his unwillingness to make a commitment.
Later that day the same killer from the opening scene attacks Felecia in her home, expressing anger over a case she was involved in concerning a child being abused. Felecia asks the killer if he is the boy's father and he states “No, I am his guardian angel”. Lewis arrives at Felecia's home but she is already dead and partially dissected similar to the woman in the opening scene. Lewis spots the killer and chases him into an alley where they fight. Lewis is knocked down but the killer drops a book. The killer is seen checking a pocket watch then disappears. Lewis finds the book, which he discovers to be the killer's journal. Lewis takes the journal home and reads about Felecia's killing, as well as 2 more murders that the killer plans within the next 72 hours. He writes the other two names down, but the killer arrives inexplicably at his home and takes the journal back as well as the sheet of paper with the other two names.
Lewis tries to explain to the police investigating Felecia's murder but the lead detective (played by Yancey Arias) doesn't believe him and actually suspects Lewis of the killing. Lewis discovers that he can read the names of the other two women due to the impression left by the pen on the second sheet. He tracks down the second woman, School teacher Vicki Ihrling (Adrianne Frost). He wants to keep an eye on her and pretends to ask her for a date, but she changes her mind instead going to a local bar. At the bar she is approached by the killer. As they make small talk she tells him she is a teacher, he states he knows one of her former students, an orphan boy that was returned to a boys' home after a teacher at the school reported him for abusing a stray cat. Vicki becomes nervous when she realizes she is the teacher that made and report and excuses herself to the restroom. Is the restroom she is attacked by the killer who angrily states “It was just a mangy little stray that no one would have missed”. Lewis is able to trace Vicki to the bar but again arrives too late to find her murdered also.
The police still doubt his story about the killer, Lewis' only evidence is a small piece of the killer's coat torn off during the earlier fight and a bloody fingerprint on a newspaper clipping. He sends both to a friend at a local crime lab. When he follows up she tell him the preliminary results from the DNA test on the blood only show one result. An 11-year old orphan living in a local boys' home. She also shows him that the fabric of the coat reacts to heat, a quality she has never seen before in a fabric.
Believing that the killer may be a relative of the boy Lewis goes to the home and introduces himself to the director Polly (Nicki Aycox) as a mentor for big brother program; asking to meet the boy. Polly seems hesitant as the boy has had behavioral problem and been returned by several foster families, but agrees to let Lewis meet him. She introduces Lewis to the orphan, James Keech (Austin Abrams). James seems to distrust all adults and especially dislikes the nuns at the home (whom he referrers to as 'the penguins') and is at first unreceptive to Lewis but agrees to go to the zoo. At the zoo Lewis asks James what he would like to be when he grows up, James seems unsure, but says he is good with math and would like to be an inventor, maybe even making a time machine so he could go back and fix his life. Back at the home James tells Lewis he wants to show him something, promising him to secrecy. Lewis promises and James shows him his 'private zoo'; a box with several small animals, including a mouse, a frog and a dragonfly that are all dead and partially dissected. Lewis is shocked and James becomes very upset, yelling at him to leave. Polly hears the yelling and comes into the dorm where James angrily accuses Lewis of trying to molest him. Polly does not believe the accusation as James has a history of making similar claims. Lewis starts to tells Polly about the dead animals but James angrily shouts that he promised not to tell. Lewis decides not to say anything and leaves.
Lewis deduces that the killer is not a relative of James but rather James himself, having traveled back from the future to 'fix his life'. As Lewis continues to try to stop the killer he tries to find the third woman from the journal. The evidence leads him back to the boys' home. While talking to Polly he sees her college degree on the wall and realizes she is the third woman on the killer's list, with Polly being a nickname. Lewis is arrested at the boy's home and taken to the police station. At the police station he tries to explain but the police do not believe him, still convinced he is the killer. The actual killer arrives pretending to be Lewis' lawyer. During a private conference the killer reveals to Lewis that his theory is correct, showing Lewis the pocket watch from the alley revealing it to actually be a time machine, and that he is James from the year 2032 coming back to fix his life. James uses the time machine to transport Lewis and himself to the boys' home, where he has Polly tied up on the roof.
Keech demands that Lewis get the younger James from his room, threatening to kill Polly if he doesn't. Lewis quietly enters the dorm and prepares to kill the younger James hoping to set the time-line right, but can't bring himself to kill the sleeping child. Instead, he hides James inside a restroom, and goes to the roof. Keech explains that the woman from the opening scene was his mother who was abusive so he killed her, and he has been traveling through time, killing other people in an effort to set his life right. Meanwhile James leaves the bathroom and follows Lewis to the roof. James sees his older self and asks Keech if he is his father, but Keech tells him the truth about being his future self. James gets upset that Keech plans to hurt Polly, stating she has been nice to him, but Keech tells James that Polly is about to find his “private zoo” and will send him to a mental hospital where his abuse continues.
While on the roof Keech reveals two more inventions: the small tazer like device from the opening scene is revealed to actually be a cutting torch, and the knife is shown to be an advanced motorized weapon with the serrated edge cycling like a chainsaw. During the struggle Keech drops the knife which James picks up and uses to slash Keech's leg. Keech then pushes James away but accidentally knocks him off of the roof. Keech turns to kill Lewis but as James dies from the fall Keech disappears.
During the closing scenes Lewis is seen driving. Using a voice over he explains that since James died at age 11 the time line was 'made right' and he never became the serial killer. Each of the killer's victims is shown to still be alive including James himself. We see Lewis driving past the rundown house number 633 from the start of the movie which we now know to be James's mothers house. James comes out the front door to take out the trash. The movie closes with Lewis going home to his wife and son.
Cast
- Cuba Gooding Jr. ... Lewis Hicks
- Neal McDonoughNeal McDonoughNeal P. McDonough is an American film, television and voice actor.-Career:In 1991, McDonough won the Best Actor Dramalogue for "Away Alone". McDonough has made many television and film appearances since then, including Band of Brothers, Boomtown, Star Trek: First Contact, Minority Report and The...
... Keene - Yancey AriasYancey AriasYancey Arias is an American actor, perhaps most noted for his work on television crime dramas, particularly his roles as Miguel Cadena in the NBC series Kingpin and as Gabriel Williams in the FX series Thief.-Life and career:...
... Ed Beker - Danielle NicoletDanielle NicoletDanielle Nicolet is an American television and film actress.-Career:Born Danielle Diggs in Ashtabula, Ohio, Nicolet began acting in the 1990s when she appeared in a recurring role in the sitcom Family Matters. In 1996, she landed the role of Caryn on 3rd Rock from the Sun, a role she would reprise...
... Gina Hicks - James DuMontJames DuMontJames DuMont is an American character actor and producer.DuMont's career includes a lead performance in the political thriller Enemies Among Us, opposite Eric Roberts and Billy Zane. DuMont has appeared in many TV shows, such as Numb3rs, House, and more recently, Treme...
... Detective Culley - Austin Abrams ... James