Terminal (film)

Terminal

Company type	Film
Industry	Film industry
Founded	2018
Founder	Vaughn Stein (writer and director)
Headquarters	Budapest , Hungary
Products	Neo-noir thriller film
Parent	LuckyChap Entertainment (producer Margot Robbie's banner)

Terminal is a 2018 neo-noir thriller film both written and directed by Vaughn Stein. The movie features Margot Robbie alongside a supporting cast that includes Simon Pegg, Dexter Fletcher, Max Irons, and Mike Myers. The narrative revolves around two assassins, a dying teacher, a janitor, and a waitress, all caught up in a lethal conspiracy.

This film is an international co-production between Ireland, the United Kingdom, Hungary, Hong Kong, and the United States. Filming primarily took place in Budapest, Hungary during May 2016.

Terminal debuted in North America on 11 May 2018 through RLJE Films. Its UK premiere occurred at the Edinburgh International Film Festival on 26 June 2018 as part of the American Dreams Strand, with a theatrical release in the UK and Ireland following on 6 July 2018 via Arrow Films. Although Robbie’s performance and the film’s visual elements received commendation, critics largely disapproved of the storyline, pacing, and direction. Commercially, the movie fell short, earning just $843,970.

Plot

A young woman enters a confession booth to meet with a shadowy employer, offering to become his exclusive assassin by eliminating his other hired killers. In exchange, she requests he locate someone for her. Meanwhile, Bill stands alone on an empty train platform where a limping janitor informs him that no trains will arrive until 4:04 a.m. The janitor advises Bill to wait inside a nearby 24-hour café. There, Bill converses with Annie, a waitress who senses his terminal illness and suicidal thoughts and discusses possible ways for him to end his life.

The story then rewinds three weeks: Illing, a contract killer, is captured by Annie disguised as a prostitute. She handcuffs him to a bed before killing him.

Mr. Franklyn, the employer, orders hitmen Vince and Alfred to retrieve a briefcase from lockers at the terminal. Inside the case are strip club matchbooks and an envelope containing cash. At the strip club, they encounter a dancer who resembles Annie and who accepts payment in exchange for information about Franklyn’s next target. The hitmen are instructed to wait in an apartment and shoot someone across the window upon receiving a signal. Vince secretly receives orders to eliminate Alfred afterward; however, the waitress warns Alfred about Vince’s betrayal and advises him to kill Vince after completing their mission. Franklyn oversees these events remotely through surveillance.

Back at the terminal, the waitress leads Bill to an abandoned air shaft and urges him to take his own life. Although initially resolved to jump, he hesitates. She provokes him until he recalls abusing two girls during his time as a teacher. The waitress then reveals she was one of those girls before stabbing Bill in the neck and pushing him down the shaft. Simultaneously, Franklyn signals the hitmen into action. Vince aims at the window but instead sees Annie; Alfred disarms Vince and kills him. Alfred and Annie escape together and encounter the janitor arriving to clean up.

At the terminal, the waitress kills Alfred and assists the janitor in disposing of both bodies by dropping them down the air shaft. The janitor returns to a closet that functions as Franklyn’s control room. Removing prosthetics and artificial skin, Franklyn exposes his real identity and normal gait. Surrounded by attaché cases prepared for future assignments, he is confronted by Annie and her twin sister Bonnie.

The twins restrain Franklyn while recounting their mother’s death: she was pursued by Franklyn (also known as Clinton Sharp) after witnessing him commit murder. He set fire to their home; their mother pushed them out of a broken window but perished in the flames. The twins suffered abuse from Bill during their time in an orphanage. They disclose that Franklyn is their biological father and exact vengeance by lobotomizing and killing him before departing together.

Development

On 12 February 2016, it was revealed that Margot Robbie would lead and produce the noir thriller Terminal, which was both written and directed by Vaughn Stein under her banner LuckyChap Entertainment. The financing was overseen by Highland Film Group, who also presented the project to international buyers during the Berlin market, while Creative Artists Agency managed sales for U.S. domestic distribution. Producer David Barron from Beagle Pug Films was also involved. By 24 May 2016, Simon Pegg, Mike Myers, Max Irons, and Dexter Fletcher had joined the cast alongside Robbie. This film marked Mike Myers’s first narrative feature since 2012.

Filming

Principal photography commenced in May 2016 in Budapest, Hungary, spanning 27 nights. By September of that year, post-production was nearly finalized, with a rough cut shown at the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival to attract potential international distributors.

Distribution

At the 2017 Cannes Film Festival, Highland Film Group actively promoted distribution rights for the movie. On 24 January 2018, RLJE Films acquired the U.S. distribution rights. Initially, in September 2016, Icon Film Distribution secured rights for the UK and Ireland; however, these rights were transferred to Arrow Films in February 2018.

Release

Terminal was released in the United States on 11 May 2018 through RLJE Films with a limited theatrical run alongside a video on demand launch. It premiered in the UK at the Edinburgh International Film Festival on 26 June 2018, followed by a limited cinema release across the UK and Ireland on 6 July 2018 via Arrow Films. The first official promotional image debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival on 9 September 2016. The film was issued unrated in the U.S., received a 15 certificate in the UK for "strong language, violence, suicide references, threat," and was rated 16 in Ireland citing "strong violence, injury and language, and suicide theme."

Home media

In the United States, the film became available on Blu-ray and DVD on 26 June 2018 through RLJ Entertainment. For audiences in the United Kingdom and Ireland, it was released on Blu-ray, DVD, digital platforms, and on-demand services on 6 August 2018 via Arrow Video.

Reception

Terminal largely received unfavorable critiques, with reviewers often targeting its storyline, pacing, direction, and overall narrative coherence; however, Margot Robbie’s performance, visual composition, and production quality were frequently commended. On Rotten Tomatoes, it holds a 22% approval rating from 65 reviews. The critical consensus suggests it mainly appeals to devoted Robbie fans but is otherwise unoriginal. On Metacritic, it earned a score of 27 out of 100, reflecting "generally unfavorable reviews."

Notable critics such as Rolling Stone's Peter Travers and Rex Reed from the New York Observer awarded zero stars, denouncing it as a pretentious and confusing noir imitation. David Edelstein of Vulture criticized its absence of a clear premise, while David Ehrlich of IndieWire described it as an incoherent blend lacking depth. Jacob Knight of Birth.Movies.Death. faulted Stein’s direction along with the superficial nature of its characters.

On the other hand, some critics recognized positive elements: Jeffrey M. Anderson from The San Francisco Examiner labeled it "mediocre" but highlighted Robbie’s compelling performance. Richard Roeper of the Chicago Sun-Times gave it three stars for its boldness and engaging sequences. Kenneth Seward Jr. of IGN rated it 7.5/10 for its intriguing revenge plot despite imperfections. Colin Covert from the Minneapolis Star Tribune praised its striking visual style and captivating aesthetics.

James Berardinelli of Reelviews offered a balanced critique appreciating its neon-lit visuals and complex narrative twists but found the conclusion underwhelming. John DeFore of The Hollywood Reporter criticized Stein’s direction as brittle and superficial; similarly, Jeannette Catsoulis of The New York Times called it flashy yet uninspired. Shaun Munro from Flickering Myth described it as chaotic but occasionally entertaining, largely due to Simon Pegg’s contribution.