Why Jake Gyllenhaal’s 2011 Sci-fi Film Source Code Is A Must-watch

Actor Jake Gyllenhaal is one of the most sought-after actors in Hollywood and is known for his top notch performances in films like Nightcrawler and Brokeback Mountain. One of his other most appreciated films is the 2011 released science-fiction thriller Source Code, directed by Duncan Jones. This film is currently streaming on the OTT platform Amazon Prime Video. Starring an ensemble star cast of Michelle Monaghan, Vera Farmiga, Jeffrey Wright, this film garnered favourable reviews from audience and critics. Source Code drew accolades for its direction, compelling screenplay and the acting performances of the cast. IMDb has allotted this film a rating of 7.5. It has a timespan of 1 hour and 29 minutes. Based on the premise of the time loop, it narrates the storyline of a soldier who wakes up in someone else’s body. The soldier discovers he’s part of an experimental government program to find the bomber of a commuter train within 8 minutes.

For his acting in this film, Jake was nominated for the Scream Awards under the best science fiction actor category. Ben Ripley was the winner for the best original screenplay category award. Central Ohio Film Critics Association had conferred this award on Ben.

Jake and the director Duncan had interacted with MTV in an earlier interview and tried to solve some of the audience’s doubts regarding a film. Both celebrities were asked why they opted for a lone gunman to be the terrorist in the film. They replied that when the Source Code actor searches the train for the bomber, he finds himself engaging in more than a little bit of racial profiling. As it turns out, the true culprit is not some clichéd terrorist ripped from an old 24 script, but a lone gunman type who wants to bring about a new world order. The upside of such a storytelling choice is it avoids colouring the film with political baggage. The negative point is the revelation of the terrorist is a bit of a letdown: He’s just some random dude with a grudge.

Summit Entertainment, Vendome Pictures and Studio Canal had backed this film.