ODD THOMAS

US, 2013, 97 minutes,. Colour.
Anton Yelchin, Willing Dafoe, Addison Timlin, Kyle Mc Keever, Nico Tortorella, Gugu Mbatha- Raw.
Directed by Stephen Sommers.

Odd Thomas is based on the popular northern by thriller-horror writer, Dean Koontz. Quite a number of his novels were adapted in the 1990s and in the following years, but they tended to be small budget and average kinds of films. This one is a bit more upmarket but still had limited release.

Anton Yelchin plays Odd, a strange character in an isolated town. While he works locally, it soon appears that he has powers beyond the normal, having a sense of death impending, seeing strange creatures who congregate around potential victims. He acts on his powers, his sense of what has happened in crimes and murders, and collaborates with the police chief, Willem Dafoe who is his friend. His girlfriend, Stormy, works in the local mall, a bright and breezy character who loves Odd, knows what is happening, continually supports him, warning him against dangers.

There is a strange character in the town, Fungus Bob, Odd pursues him and finds that he has a file on serial killers. When there are further killings and the seemingly friendly police deputies act with strange behaviour, and the malevolent creatures are seen in greater force, Odd realises that some rather apocalyptic disaster is approaching. There is to be a mass shooting in the mall. Odd uses his wits and with bombs and a truck, he saves the day.

The director is Stephen Sommers whose films included The Mummy, The Mummy Returns, Van Helsing.

1. Interest in Odd Thomas, character, powers, crime and solutions?

2. The work of Dean Koontz, adaptation?

3. The title? Odd, Oddball? His parents? His age, appearance, his work, his love for Stormy?

4. The revelation of his powers, seeing Penny when she was dead, her being mute, his pursuing the car, the driver, the murderer, his apprehension?

5. The character of the Chief, liking Odd, communication, allowing him to use his powers? Personal interest and friendship, the arrests? The deputies, their work? The chief being shot, in hospital, his being saved by the metal heart given him by Odd? The comic encounter with the maker of the heart, his character and repartee?

6. The creatures, visible, ethereal, fluid, malevolent? Hovering of the people, portending deaths? Pretending that he could not see them? Their not being deceived, leading him on? With Fungus Bob?

7. The flirting girl, with, the flashbacks of her death, her being found, her appearance when she was dead, warning Odd? Her being killed by Kevin, his seeming innocence, his later appearance, part of the cult?

8. Fungus Bob, his behaviour, his hair, in the shops, in the streets, going to his house? Odd discovering the serial killer files? His appearances, Odd going home, finding his body in the bath, taking it away, the disposal, in the plant, the police, the smell?

9. Viola, The girls, dreaming, explaining to Odd? The creatures around her, at home, getting her to rest? The threat, getting her to leave? In the shopping mall, his wanting her to go?

10. The apocalyptic plan?

11. Odd, his investigations, the phone calls to Stormy, the dangers, her having conversations with customers and with Odd? The chief being shot, Odd going to the house, going to the hospital?

12. The deputy, the challenge? No creatures seen? The second deputy, seemingly friendly, his work, unmasked, his shooting the Chief? Their plan, the cult, the thrill killers when they were young? Wanting to be heroes of the mall and rescuing people?

13. Viola, the security, the threat to the mall, the machine guns, shootings?

14. Odd, his search, finding the truck, the fear of the driver, driving the truck away, the deputy pursuing, hanging onto the side of the truck, crash, the time limit, the explosion?

15. Odd, his being saved, the hospital, the crowds outside to acclaim him? Chief and his recovery, telling him that it was time to go?

16. Stormy, her breezy character, knowing the truth, devotion to Odd, her work in the mall, the shootings, her being with Odd? The realisation that she was dead, mute, her farewell?

17. Odd going to Las Vegas, a new sense of mission?