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WΔZ could be described as belonging to that much-maligned - and declining - genre that has come to be called torture porn, but here the actual act of torture is not actually depicted until late in the film and is included as a natural progression of the plot rather than to provide sadistic titillation, an accusation that could be levelled at certain other films. (By the way, for those not well versed in their Greek alphabet, the title is actually W-Delta-Z, but it is generally pronounced "Waz".) The plot here is admittedly morbid but also grimly compelling, if not altogether original. At the start of the film, a dead body is found, with the letters of the title carved into the flesh. It slowly emerges that these form the first part of a mathematical equation that is important in the film's plot revelations and does offer a degree of innovation that surpasses the expectations of its initially derivative beginnings.
Much of the goings on are filmed with extremely murky cinematography that echoes Darius Khondji's seminal work on Se7en (not the only way in which WΔZ resembles David Fincher's modern classic), which is generally beneficial to the establishment of a suspenseful and gripping atmosphere. It also helps in budgetary terms - much of the film, which is a British production, was shot in Belfast despite being set in New York, but it gets away with it via the use of some good choices of locations and the aforementioned dark visuals. The occasional appearance of some British faces belie the film's origins on this side of the Atlantic, but a commendable sense of place is established and maintained throughout. To unknowing observers, the film will just look like it was shot entirely on the actual Big Apple locations.
The film is carried by Stellan Skarsgård and horror regular Melissa George playing the cops spearheading the investigation. If there is at first a degree of cliché to their characters - the disillusioned veteran cop and the idealistic rookie - these are shaken off when we get to discover some unexpected hidden depths. These characters are actually pretty interesting, well developed by the script and well played by the actors. Also noteworthy is Bullet Boy's Ashley Walters, who handles a difficult role with excellent conviction. The performances add to the impact of a decent twist in the film's final stages. These days twists are generally becoming more and more outlandish in the effort to remain surprising - see some of M. Night Shyamalan's more recent outings - but this is one that manages to be both unexpected and not utterly ridiculous. You won't see it coming, but it's also far from a cop-out; something that is all too rare at present.
The summary
Se7en meets Saw, but more than just a derivative knock-off - WΔZ is actually a thoroughly decent thriller in its own right.
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