Seven Pounds (2008)

Seven Pounds hides its plot the way a kid hides a broken lamp, and for most of 123 minutes you’re stuck watching Will Smith look guilty near it. He shows up at strangers’ doors, asks odd questions, decides whether they’re good people and refuses to explain a thing. The mystery works for a while. Then the movie starts holding back just to seem deep, and Smith’s teary, whispery performance can’t carry that much fog. What saves it is everyone he visits. Woody Harrelson is gentle and funny as Ezra, a man who stays kind no matter what. Rosario Dawson makes Emily warm, sharp and easy to root for, and her scenes with Smith around that old press are lovely. Critics gave it 26% on Rotten Tomatoes, while IMDb voters have it at 7.6, so it lands hard for the people it lands for. A 5.8 because the feelings are sincere and the puzzle box is mostly packaging. $1,654 says you spend the first hour shouting theories at the screen, and none of them are right.

What works: Rosario Dawson and Woody Harrelson bring real warmth, and the quiet scenes between Emily and Ben feel honest.

What doesn’t: The movie withholds so much for so long that the mystery starts to feel like a stall, and Will Smith’s mournful hush gets monotonous.

Who it’s for: Viewers who like a slow, sad drama that asks for patience and pays it back with a big emotional finish.