Dark Psychological Thriller Sees Ryan Gosling Waging Battle with a Killer, Stream It for Free

Yes, long before Ryan Gosling was Kenough, he was the cute southern boy just trying to win a girl’s heart in The Notebook. He’d had a few other small roles, like the creepy killer in Murder by Numbers (remember that one?) and the dorky hillbilly in Remember the Titans (yes! That was him!). 

His faceoff with Anthony Hopkins in Fracture, however, is what cemented him in our brains as an A list actor. 

Ryan Gosling’s Fracture film opens up with Hopkins’ character, Ted Crawford, a wealthy engineer in Los Angeles, confronting his wife, Jennifer (Embeth Davidtz), over her affair with L.A. police detective Robert Nunally (Billy Burke). In that very first scene, Crawford shoots his wife and the police are called to the giant, sprawling, luxury home. 

Nunally and other police surround the house, with Nunally entering the home to negotiate the surrender of Crawford. Both men put down their weapons and Nunally rushes to Jennifer’s side to find her still alive but unconscious. Crawford is arrested and Jennifer lies in a coma in the hospital.

Enter Ryan Gosling’s Fracture character, deputy district attorney Willy Beachum. He’s a rising star with a perfect record of convictions, and he takes this case because he sees it as open and shut. Once completed, he plans to leave the D.A.’s office for greener pastures — a corporate law firm that will pay quite well. As a bonus, the young and beautiful Rosamund Pike plays his future boss, Nikki Gardner.

However, once in court, Crawford, representing himself, has his confession stricken from the record on the grounds that he gave it to Nunally, who was having an affair with his wife. It is also discovered that Crawford’s handgun does not match the shell casing found at the scene. Indeed, the gun has never been fired. 

And here is where we find the. Ryan Gosling fracture in the film. Indeed, multiple fractures appear in this “open-and-shut” case. 

While Anthony Hopkins is, of course, in fine form, very much in the vein of Hannibal Lecter, Ryan Gosling holds his own as a smart young investigative attorney determined to prove his intellectual opponent is a murderer as his own hopes for a thriving corporate law career begin to unravel. He plays the relentless pitbull quite well. 

REVIEW SCORE

Ryan Gosling’s Fracture is not necessarily filled with suspense, but it is certainly a murder mystery akin to the writing of Agatha Christie or Mary Higgins Clark, and the direction is at once dark and glamorous, keeping us psychologically engaged. 

I’m a big fan of twists and turns, especially when they come together well without plot holes or nonsensical deus ex machina tricks, and this film delivers on all accounts. 

Rotten Tomatoes gives Fracture a 72%, and I’d agree. It has earned 4 out of 5 stars because, despite repeating the familiar murder mystery trope, it does so brilliantly. 

You can stream Ryan Gosling in Fracture free on Hoopla, and I would recommend you take the time to do it. You won’t be sorry.