ATM Review

ATM was one of those few movies I went into without knowing anything about it. Going in, I had absolutely zero expectations, and I had no idea who was in it. So before you drive yourself crazy, I'll go ahead and throw you a bone: the douchey best friend in this is Josh Peck -- that fat kid from Nickelodeon. He's just lost a bunch of weight and looks normal now. Seriously, it took me about 15 dedicated minutes to put that together. So there you go... in case you were wondering. Josh Peck.

All right, sorry. On to the review. After that revelation, I was able to surmise that the film centers on David (Brian Geraghty), an investment banker who has eyes for his co-worker Emily (Alice Eve). After a tame office Christmas party, David offers Emily a ride home to get better acquainted with her. Unfortunately for him, his best friend Corey (the aforementioned Peck) decides to bum a ride home with the twosome after getting too drunk during the festivities.

On the way home, the trio of co-workers make a quick pitstop at an ATM. What they fail to realize, however, is that an unknown man stands waiting outside to slaughter them all to bits. Trapped inside the ATM, David, Emily and Corey have to figure out a way to get back to David's car before they're all done for.

As far as thrillers go, ATM offers its decent share of jolts. The film manages to hit all of its marks, but done so in such a way that it quickly becomes obvious how things will eventually play out. More often than not, the story follows a pretty formulaic path and rarely strays from it. It's deeply conventional, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. In some ways it's oddly comforting, and as a movie playing on TV, it could make for some good background noise. But if you're looking for a movie filled with twists and surprises, it's certainly not here.

The performances, on the other hand, are actually pretty good. Both Geraghty and Eve do a fine job with the material they're given. They also have a surprisingly good chemistry on screen that makes you route for their survival together. Less impressive is Peck, who never really offers up anything good, comedic or otherwise. But he's never outstandingly terrible either.

Much like its tight-squeeze predecessors -- Phone Booth and Buried, to name a couple -- the movie does a good job of playing with its contained environment. The addition of below-freezing temperatures adds a good layer of suspense, and with a brisk running time of only 90 minutes, the movie keeps at a steady pace. You'll never find yourself bored or dying to leave -- it's great casual popcorn fare. Sadly, when all is said and done, ATM never quite succeeds in becoming anything more than a one-off viewing for date night.


Max Nicholson is a writer for IGN, and he desperately seeks your approval. Show him some love on Twitter and IGN.

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