Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department detective Erin Bell (Nicole Kidman) has a great number of regrets, starting with an undercover operation she worked with an FBI agent named Chris (Sebastian Stan). Seventeen years earlier, she and Chris infiltrated a gang of bank robbers led by the charismatic Silas (Toby Kebbell) just as they are preparing a big job that could net them millions of dollars. In the present, Det. Bell arrives at the scene of a murder being worked by city detectives. They tell her it’s out of her jurisdiction, but she checks out the body and sees three oval tattoos on the victims’ neck and hundred-dollar bills stained with purple dye scattered around the body. Erin knows something about the case, but she’s not sharing the information with her colleagues. Erin’s memories about her time with the gang, with Chris, with Silas, with Silas’ girlfriend Petra (Tatiana Maslany) and the decisions at the time that have ruled her life since come flooding back as she considers what her next move must be.

“Destroyer” is a dark, dark movie. It doesn’t waste time with characters that are either black or white and focuses on all the varying shades of grey, most of the on the darker end, that make up the inhabitants of Los Angeles populating this universe. It’s a film that plays with perceptions, time and morality and is anchored by a breathtaking performance from Nicole Kidman who at times is unrecognizable. The glamourous Kidman disappears under layers of grime and time to become the title character in “Destroyer.”

Kidman’s performance is what makes “Destroyer” a great film as there are some issues with the characters and the plot. While no character, besides Erin, has a huge amount of screen time, Toby Kebbell’s Silas is a ghost that haunts scenes despite not being seen. Silas is shown in flashbacks as a messianic figure, able to control his followers and make them do things against their better judgement. I would have liked to see more of Silas, but at the same time, I don’t think the character would have worked as the all-knowing, all-seeing villain he is portrayed to be if he appeared in bigger chunks of the film. Silas comes off as a Manson-type leader, able to get his crew to take stupid chances and punishing anyone that lies to or betrays him, but we never see his tactics, only his long dark hair, penetrating stare and too calm demeanor. Silas instills loyalty and fear in his crew, even nearly two decades after they last saw each other. Why? The movie never answers that question.

The non-linear narrative also distracts from the storytelling. The film jumps back and forth in time so much, the only way you can tell what part of the story you are in is by what Kidman’s Erin looks like. The past has her looking recognizable, while the present shows Erin as if she’s been sandblasted. While we get all the details about the story in these scenes, it makes it difficult to keep up and easy to miss important plot points. An event late in the film makes all this jumping around make more sense and provides something of an “ah-ha” moment. Still, all the time jumps create some confusion.

“Destroyer” is rated R for language throughout, violence, some sexual content and brief drug use. There are a couple of beatings shown with blood coming from facial injuries along with one beating causing vomit. There are also some bullet wounds shown in a couple of shootings. A game of Russian Roulette is shown as well. A powder is shown being snorted. There is an uncomfortable sex scene that involves no nudity but is just gross. Foul language is common throughout the film.

Nicole Kidman turns “Destroyer” from a standard, dark crime drama into an event. Her performance is both painful and mesmerizing as a cop haunted by a past she can’t live with and a future she doesn’t care about. Every bad decision is etched on her face and her efforts to make things as right as she can are likely to fail. It is a story of greed and envy, and the road to Hell and redemption. I can’t say you’ll love “Destroyer,” but I bet you won’t be able to forget it.

“Destroyer” gets five stars.

This week, I’ll be reviewing Liam Neeson in “Cold Pursuit” for WIMZ.com.

Other movies coming out this week are:

The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part—

The Prodigy—

What Men Want—

Listen to The Fractured Frame for the latest in movie, TV and streaming news, available wherever you get podcasts. Follow me on Twitter @moviemanstan and send emails to stanthemovieman123@gmail.com.