Wading through ’s extensive library can sometimes result in hidden gems, such as this star-studded thriller flying under the radar.
Viewers have been and but for something a little darker – My Son has just landed on the platform.
The film is a twisting mystery which sees Edmond, a covert operative searching for his estranged seven-year-old son who has disappeared.
Edmond is portrayed by and star , 44, in this 2022 remake of a French film by the same name.
He discovers Ethan has gone missing after a call from his ex-wife Joan, played by fellow Hollywood heavy hitter and star of , , 39.
In an unusual approach, Christian Carion – the filmmaker of both versions – didn’t give his lead actors any lines or a full script.
Instead, James was given an overview of the plot but left to improvise and react in character as the plot unfolded in front of him.
This innovative filmmaking approach has led to most of the positive reviews of the film, praising the Split actor for his performance.
While promoting the movie, James appeared on the Graham Norton Show and shared his thoughts on the alternative experience.
He explained: ‘The entire film for me was improvised – the rest of the cast and crew had a script and had all been rehearsing with each other and another actor playing me for weeks. I had to learn what was happening next as I went along – it was crazy.
‘The French director designed the whole thing to preserve the first take so whatever I did was as real, natural and truthful as possible.’
This worked for the majority of My Son but one scene didn’t quite go to Christian’s plan.
James added: ‘Usually, we captured the first thing I did and moved on, but this one time a car came out of nowhere and I was scared so I decided I should hide. I climbed up a tree – and I went high.
‘I felt really proud of myself, but when I got down the director said, “I need you to do it a different way, because how do you say in English? It is just a bit f**king stupid!”‘
At the time producer Adam Fogelson also shared: ‘James will be doing the detective work of the film in real time, on camera, to create real tension for this thriller. We like to support bold and innovative storytelling like My Son, and Claire could not be a more spectacular or exciting choice for this film which is certain to thrill audiences.’
My Son is now available to watch on Netflix.
