“The Tutor” is a thriller film directed by Jordan Ross, with a screenplay by Ryan King. The movie features Garrett Hedlund as Ethan, the title character, and Victoria Justice as Annie, his pregnant girlfriend. The story revolves around Ethan, who works as a tutor for privileged children and is starting a family with Annie.
The film opens with a shot of the gates of a grand mansion, and then shows Ethan using his teaching skills with affluent children. He gets a lucrative opportunity to tutor a young boy named Jackson, played by Noah Schnapp, whose mysterious father promises to pay Ethan $2500 a day. Jackson seems peculiar and knows a lot about Ethan’s personal life, leading to a strange and shady atmosphere.
As the plot progresses, Ethan discovers that Jackson has pictures of him and Annie on his computer, but instead of reporting this to the authorities, he stays involved in the situation. He faces accusations of crimes he didn’t commit and meets other suspicious characters, including an oily man who might be Jackson’s father.
Throughout the movie, Ethan’s personal issues and past connections with Jackson are revealed, suggesting that he might not be who he appears to be. The film attempts to introduce twists and turns reminiscent of Alfred Hitchcock and Claude Chabrol’s style, but they come across as far-fetched and not particularly engaging.
The reviewer, Glenn Kenny, criticizes the film for its lack of energy in direction and its uninteresting execution of plot twists. The performances, including Hedlund’s portrayal of Ethan’s character’s descent, fail to provide satisfying payoffs for the audience’s investment of time.
In summary, “The Tutor” is described as a remarkably inconsequential thriller with an unimpressive screenplay and direction. The characters’ actions and the plot twists are deemed uninteresting, resulting in a film that doesn’t make the most of its potential.