Mehnificent

Some films fail, but do so innocuously. Others fail with more urgency—they mishandle material so important, so inflammable, that their mediocrity becomes a kind of insult. The Vigilante is that sort of film: a chintzy, slapdash action-thriller whose wobbly attempts at blockbuster ferocity trivialize the monstrous reality of child trafficking. There’s no deeper disappointment at the movies than when righteous indignation is reduced to bad lighting, tepid performances, and the hollow rattle of fake gunfire.

Welcome to the cinematic world of "The Vault," a 2021 Spanish heist thriller that hangs around like that one friend who overstayed their welcome at a party. Directed by Jaume Balagueró, this film tries to get by on the classic tropes of the genre yet ends up taking the route less traveled—mostly because it’s lost and doesn’t know where it’s going.