Pierre Morel’s action thriller film, Canary Black, delivers a good dose of action but not enough to make up for the run-of-the-mill storyline. CIA agent Avery Graves found herself in trouble when she received a call informing her that her husband had been kidnapped. David did not know that Graves was a CIA agent. The couple were deeply in love, and Avery was ready to go to any length to bring her husband home. The kidnapper instructed Graves to find the ‘Canary Black’ file and hand it to him. She searched for the file in the system but could not find it there. The kidnapper asked her to dig deep, and Avery had little choice. She did not expect the agency to understand that she was still loyal to them and had every intention of retrieving the file as soon as David was returned. Avery was soon declared a national threat because every step she took unleashed chaos. Will Avery manage to get the file? Can she destroy her enemy?
Spoiler Alert
What did the Canary Black file consist of?
The Deputy Director of the CIA, Nathan Evans, initially told his team that the Canary Black was a top-secret list that has confidential information about all government personnel and could be used to blackmail them. It was created by the CIA to build pressure points in case the ones on the list were approached to become spies. Evans had disclosed that Avery’s mentor at the CIA, Jarvis Hedlund, too, would be in danger if the list was out. The affair he had four years ago was mentioned in the document, and if the enemy got their hands on such crucial data, they could disrupt the system entirely. Hedlund did not give up on Avery. When she secretly connected with him and explained her situation, he tried his best to assist her. He knew she was not a traitor, even though his boss wanted him to think the worst of her. As Avery tried to desperately rescue her husband, she discovered she had been compromised for quite some time. Her neighbors turned out to be private contractors, and they worked for the man who had kidnapped David. Avery was told by her source that the blackmailer was Kali, an assassin who apparently owed a hefty debt to a Russian mob and was trying to use the Canary Black file to get back his freedom.
Avery realized that the only way she could get access to the secret file was with the help of the deputy director. Of course, he would not willingly help her, so she sneaked into his hotel room. She tied him to a chair and threatened to blow his head off if he failed to provide her with the password to the file. Evans did not have much choice, and he disclosed his password, but Avery could not access the file in the hotel room. She needed to find a secure server approved by the CIA. By the time the deputy director could warn the server company, Avery had already accessed the file and transferred it to her device. Avery soon figured out that the Canary Black file did not consist of a list; it was a potent virus that was designed to dismantle every country around the globe. This dangerous computer virus could not only corrupt all the incoming and outgoing connections from an electronic system but also completely lock down the devices leading to a total chaos in the digital world. It was eventually revealed in the film that the blackmailer was Konrad Breznov, the director of the National Security Service. He wanted access to the Canary Black file to blackmail every country and make trillions of dollars before disappearing into thin air.
Who was Kali?
When Avery made it to the telephone booth to connect with the kidnapper, she was drugged by his men and taken to his headquarters. Breznov already had the Canary Black file, and he was ready to create a frenzy all across the globe. He live-streamed a video to inform the leaders of every country who attended the Global Unification Summit about the destruction he could bring with just a click. To prove that he was not lying, he brought Singapore to a standstill by disrupting their internet. He warned the representatives of each country that they would be in a similar position if they failed to transfer money to ensure their safety. The representatives were offered an hour to make the decision.
The deputy director of the CIA later admitted that he had lied about the file. The Canary Black file was created as the ultimate weapon to win cyberwarfare if it ever came to that. Even the President of the United States was unaware of the file, and he mentioned that the virus was also designed to intercept the internet and devices across the US in case of a civil war or a coup, so they were in a terrible spot as well. Moreover, after the other countries learned that the CIA had created the virus, they accused the United States of putting them in such a vulnerable position. The US’s relationship with other countries worsened during that time, and they had no choice but to remain silent.
Meanwhile, Breznov continued to torture Avery, but she breathed a sigh of relief when she saw David. But immediately after he was brought into the room, he was shot in the stomach. But Avery did not expect David to protest the way he did. He was a skilled fighter, and with a few swift moves, he untied himself and killed two of Breznov’s gang members. Avery realized that David was not the man he claimed to be. As it turned out, it was David who told Breznov about Canary Black. He and Breznov had faked the kidnapping to convince Avery to steal the file. Apparently, he had messed up a job offered by the Russian mob, and he ended up with a 20-million-dollar debt. They had revealed his identity to Breznov. He tried to retrieve the file, but when he failed, Breznov threatened to kill Avery, and finding the Canary Black file was their only way out. Avery realized that the man she had been living with was the infamous assassin, Kali. Avery felt betrayed, but Kali reassured her that he truly loved her and that the life they had built together was real. Kali promised to find a way to make it right, but Avery could no longer trust him. She instructed him to cut off the internet while she tried to find a way to take down Breznov.
How did Avery save the day?
More and more countries transferred money, fearing complete collapse and blackout. While Breznov planned on making maximum profit, Avery and Kali intervened. They started a shootout in the headquarters, and the internet router crashed. Breznov was desperate to upload the file to put the first-world countries in a tough spot, but Avery made it almost impossible for him to do so.
During Canary Black’s ending, Avery stabbed Breznov and finally killed him. She made it to the computer right on time and managed to stop the transfer. Even though Avery was accused of being a national threat, she was the one who saved the entire world that night. Kali begged Avery to forgive him; he was ready to start over again, and this time there would be no room for lies. Avery could not imagine being with one of the most wanted criminals in the world. She had fallen in love with David, but she did not know Kali. It was all too much for her to process, and she decided that it was best if they parted ways. But Kali refused to give up. He strongly believed that they stood a chance, but before Avery could make up her mind, CIA agents entered the room. Kali managed to escape, and Avery was arrested. The CIA agents had tracked Hedlund’s phone; Avery’s mentor had tried to rescue her, but Breznov shot him before he could find Avery.
Who approached Avery?
Deputy Director Evans accused Avery of bringing the world to the brink of war. He intended to wipe off her existence completely, and she would’ve no choice but to spend the rest of her life in prison. Evans grabbed hold of Avery’s hand to break her fingers as she did to him, but Avery was not a puppet, and she swiftly broke his nose with her head. While Avery tried to find a way to unlock the handcuffs, a woman entered the room. She asked Evans to leave, and he soon received a call from the President of the United States. The woman introduced herself as Elizabeth and she offered Avery a job. She believed Avery had proved that she was extremely skilled and one of the best agents in the country. Elizabeth offered her the opportunity to join MC6, a team that was recently built to handle only critical missions that the other agencies could not tackle. Avery could get back her freedom by joining the team, or she could rot away in prison. The choice was simple. Avery chose her freedom, and it also suggested that she would continue to hunt the bad guys.
In Canary Black’s ending, Avery found her wedding ring, hinting that Kali already knew where she was. He was still hopeful that she would give their relationship another chance, and the fact that Avery kept the ring with her proved that he was right. Their relationship will interfere with her commitment to her nation, and it will only make matters worse. Who knows, maybe we’ll get a sequel to find out if Avery and Kali managed to stay together.
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