Netflix Just Added This Underrated Michael Douglas Thriller That Deserves More Love

This weekend, Netflix just added director Gary Fleder’s underrated 2001 thriller, Don’t Say a Word.

Michael Douglas stars in the film as a child psychiatrist named Nathan Conrad, who is blackmailed by thieves to retrieve intel from one of his latest patients.

Critics savaged Don’t Say a Word and left it with a 23 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes.

The Watch With Us team thinks that score doesn’t tell the whole story, and we’re sharing three reasons why you should watch Don’t Say a Word on Netflix.

Michael Douglas Holds ‘Don’t Say a Word’ Together

The funny thing about the bad reviews that film got is that a handful of them acknowledged that Don’t Say a Word was stylish and well-made. The critics were largely upset at what they viewed as a by-the-numbers plot. There is some validity to that criticism, but it doesn’t detract from the film itself. That’s because Michael Douglas carries the film on his shoulders as an ordinary guy who is thrust into extraordinary circumstances when his daughter is kidnapped.

There’s a reason why Douglas was cast in so many thrillers during his long career. He plays Nathan’s transition from worried parent to unlikely hero as a natural progression of his response to the threat to his family. Nathan is no action hero, but he takes part in some thrilling chases in the film that more than make up for its shortcomings.

The Film Treats Its Female Characters Well

The late Brittany Murphy had a very good performance in this movie as Elisabeth Burrows, the teenager under Patrick’s medical care. The men who kidnapped Patrick’s daughter believe that Elizabeth is faking her mental illness symptoms to hide from them. They’re also convinced that she knows exactly where to find the valuable gem that they want. Murphy does a good job of making the audience question how much of her illness is an act, while earning our sympathy at the same time.

Surprisingly, the two women who get to play badass roles in this film are Famke Janssen and Jennifer Esposito. Janssen plays Patrick’s wife, Aggie Conrad, and she gets a very unexpected action turn in the middle of the movie that stands out as a highlight. Aggie actually stands up to the kidnappers in a shocking way and arguably does more than her husband could have. Esposito plays Sandra Cassidy, a police officer who is sympathetic to Patrick’s plight and instrumental in helping him protect his family. It’s kind of refreshing to see both of those characters play such an important part in the story.

Sean Bean Has a Menacing Presence As the Bad Guy

After Game of Thrones, it’s been more difficult to go back and watch Sean Bean play villainous characters in other projects. He really does excel at playing good guys, but he found his heart of darkness in Don’t Say a Word. Bean plays Patrick Koster, the vengeful jewel thief who hatched the plan to kidnap Nathan’s daughter to get the information about the gem.

Bean gives Patrick an intensity and sense of menace that convincingly portrays his willingness to murder a child to get what he wants. In that way, he’s the worst kind of villain, but it’s also enjoyable to see Patrick get what’s coming to him for daring to go that far.

Don’t Say a Word is now streaming on Netflix.