Extraction Review: 7 Ups & 3 Downs

5. The Direction

Perhaps the only thing better than the thrilling action scenes was the way in which they were shot, because it would foolish to sing the praises of Extraction's visual experience without at least mentioning Sam Hargrave's directing. But that was so good, in fact, that this writer plans on doing a heck of a lot more than merely mentioning it.

There is a scene in the first act of the film that is shot in one complete 12-minute take, with the camera traversing through a marketplace, in and out of a single building and even across rooftops as it follows the mercenaries hunting Rake and Ovi - before the aforementioned hand-to-hand battle between Rake and Saju takes place.

It's hard to describe how effective this is in drawing us into the action. It's an invasive tactic that perhaps only a stunt coordinator like Hargraves could have pulled off, as it makes the experience all the more uncomfortable, inviting us in and - through the lack of sound - making us feel just as nervous as the soldiers hunting their target.

It's a scene that builds tension beautifully before letting the pressure out in one brilliantly shot - and performed - fight scene.

And that's just one of the reasons as to why Hargraves was the right man for the job.