An Ordinary Man (2017)

An Ordinary Man is the kind of intimate war drama that sneaks up on you: less about battles than about the unsettling quiet of a man who should be hunted, yet moves through his days as if the world has agreed to look away. Ben Kingsley gives a razor-precise performance—by turns darkly funny, pathetic, and chilling—finding nuance in a character you’re not meant to like, but can’t stop watching. The film’s tense, contained vibe hinges on his uneasy connection with Hera Hilmar’s maid, a relationship that turns small gestures into loaded moments and keeps the air crackling with dread. It’s not for everyone—its subject matter is morally thorny and it includes some harsh, sexualized intimidation—but if you’re drawn to actor-driven stories with a surprising edge and an ending that lands, it’s well worth your time.

An Ordinary Man is clearly trying to be a tense, character-driven chamber drama about the banality of evil—what it looks like when a monster is left to rot in plain sight and starts craving human connection. The problem is the film often feels dramatically thin and oddly unconvincing in its setting and behavior, so the “humanizing” angle can come off less like insight and more like a forced shortcut. Ben Kingsley brings professionalism and a few moments of quiet menace, but the script doesn’t give the supporting characters or the relationship enough depth to land with the moral weight it’s reaching for. If you’re looking for a sharp war-crimes thriller or a nuanced exploration of accountability, this may frustrate you, and the sexual intimidation/nudity content will be a hard no for some viewers.