Plot: A scientist studying a deadly virus must fight back when he and his wife are threatened by an organization intent on taking over the world.
Richard Ryan co-wrote, directs and stars in this indie action thriller about a scientist with a mysterious past who discovers a secret plot to take over the world.
Art of Deception may not have a huge budget, but it has some decent fight scenes, and the story is interesting enough to keep you mostly engaged.
There is an unnecessary dream sequence which slows the pacing down a little, but I like Ryan as the lead and his co-star Jackie Nova who plays his wife Val is appealingly badass too. I thought Zac Titus nearly stole the movie as Slater as he was truly hateful, but he deserved a more satisfying sendoff.
This being low budget fare there aren’t any major set-pieces and some of the acting is a little amateurish at times, but the story is coherent, and I feel like with a bigger budget Ryan could do something special.
I’m a little suspicious of the 10/10 reviews for this movie on IMDb as this is nowhere near that level and I feel like those are bots.
Overall, Art of Deception has a few decent fight scenes and Richard Ryan is one to watch, but its lack of budget means there isn’t anything that really stands out in terms of set-pieces.