Not Forgotten | |
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Directed by | Dror Soref |
Produced by | Donald Zuckerman Dror Soref Michelle Seward |
Written by | Tomas Romero Dror Soref |
Starring |
Simon Baker Paz Vega |
Music by |
Mark Isham Cindy O'Connor |
Cinematography | Steven Bernstein, ASC |
Edited by | Martin Hunter |
Distributed by | Anchor Bay Films |
Release date
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Running time
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96 minutes |
Language | English |
Box office | $142,055 |
Not Forgotten is a 2009 independent thriller written and directed by Dror Soref starring Simon Baker and Paz Vega. The film takes place on the Texas-Mexico border and tells the story of a kidnapping plot involving the ritualistic cult Santa Muerte. The protagonist Jack Bishop's (Simon Baker) dark past is slowly uncovered as the kidnapping case unravels.
Jack Bishop (Simon Baker) works as a loan officer in Del Rio, Texas and is remarried to Amaya Bishop (Paz Vega), living with her and his daughter Toby Bishop (Chloë Grace Moretz) from his first marriage. Toby is kidnapped by an unknown perpetrator leading to the involvement of the local police and eventually the FBI. The FBI begins inquiring in Jack's past only to find out he has no official records dating back farther than ten years, and there is no evidence showing how his first wife had died or where she was buried.
A local petty criminal and repeated sex offender is initially thought to be the culprit, but it is revealed that the dangerous cult-like religious movement Santa Muerte, popular within Mexican criminal circles, might be involved. Jack's former life as a Santa Muerte worshiping hit man for the Mexican mafia is revealed as he tries desperately to find out who kidnapped his daughter. We later learn that Jack was really named Roberto. Though born in Oklahoma, his drug addicted mother took him to Mexico when she was young. She later died, and Roberto had to make a life for himself on the streets. He ultimately became an enforcer for the Mexican mafia. He married a woman named Katie, and they had a child, Toby. Jack escapes from the FBI in Texas and makes his way across the border to Acuna. There he is accused of murdering a prostitute who was trying to help him find Toby. Though he did not do it, the Mexican police arrest him. Jack is later able to escape from the Mexican jail in disguise. Still in Acuna, he makes his presence known. As he planned, he lured the assassin who was looking for him to come to his hotel. They fight and Jack beats the assassin, who he then tortures for information about Toby's whereabouts. The assassin tells Jack that Toby was kidnapped by Katie, Jack's/Roberto's ex-wife. Jack breaks into the brothel that Katie now runs in Acuna and confronts Katie, who is herself furious that Jack/Roberto ran out on her without warning and took Toby with him. Jack thinks Katie is lying when she says she does not know where Toby is, and murders her.