The news that Alicia Vikander and Armie Hammer would be reuniting in the upcoming action/horror movie "Freakshift" broke on April 2nd, and had my corner of the internet asking, "is this a belated April Fool's prank?"
Vikander and Hammer worked together before
Vikander and Hammer worked together in "The Man From U.N.C.L.E" (2015), a glorious, kinetic, technicolor spy flick that effortlessly balanced balletic action, humor, and moments of genuine peril. Vikander and Hammer's romantic subplot, between a Russian spy and an East German defector, was the beating heart of the film.
Their romance ranged from tempestuous to tender. When the credits rolled, there were numerous hints that despite their separate loyalties, the two characters' romance will continue (the film's romantic theme is called "The Unfinished Kiss," which -spoiler alert- is tragically 100% accurate).
The film itself ends with a thematically perfect 'And The Adventure Continues' but given that "The Man From U.N.C.L.E" didn't impress at the box office and that Henry Cavill is currently committed (pun intended) to the DCEU, there is no chance of a sequel.
Learning that Vikander and Hammer will be teaming up again, this time in a film "about a woman with shotguns fighting giant crabs," according to director Ben Wheatley, delighted the few, but fervent fans of "The Man From U.N.C.L.E." It just feels like a sequel, even if it isn't.
Audience continuing a conversation
Excluding franchises and films made by Tim Burton, it's rare to see actors work together multiple times. It feels like the audience is continuing a conversation with old friends. Armie Hammer worked with director Ben Wheatley on his latest film "Free Fire," currently enjoying an 80 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Alicia Vikander has a filmography full of prestige films, slayed during the 2015-16 award seasons, and will be starting the upcoming "Tomb Raider" movie.
Films like "Freakshift," about a group of rogue cops who fight against the monsters that go bump in the night, live or die based on the charisma of their leads. Vikander and Hammer have already proven they have that kind of chemistry.
That said, I have my doubts about getting to see a romance that ends with an HEA in "Freakshift." The early press for the film presents it as leaning more toward the horror side of action/horror. That Hammer is listed as Vikander's love interest - not her co-lead - has me betting that Hammer's character will die tragically, while Vikander ends the film as the bloody but triumphant Final Girl.
