Review: Jesse Stone: No Remorse (2010)

Directed by Robert Harmon, and starring Tom Selleck, Kathy Baker, Kohl Sudduth, Stephan McHattie, William Sadler, William Devane, and Mae Whitman, No Remorse is the sixth entry in the Jesse Stone movie series. The film is the second film in the series not to be based directly on a novel by Robert B. Parker, and picks up shortly after the events of Thin Ice, with Jesse suspended from the Paradise police force.

With Jesse out of action, officers Rose Gammon and “Suitcase” Simpson are finding themselves overstretched. Police work is mounting up, and there’s simply not enough officers to tackle the crime, which most recently has included a nasty convenience store robbery.

But while Rose and “Suitcase” have their hands full, Jesse is approached by a recently recovered Captain Healy, who is out of hospital and working on a new case. The case involves a double murder in Boston, and he wants Jesse to assist him. 

Jesse agrees to Healy’s request and starts looking into the details, under the guise of a ‘temporary consultant’. He also keeps an eye on the convenience store robbery, even though he is forbidden from getting involved in any police work in Paradise.

Six films in, and while most movie series would be running out of steam, the Jesse Stone movies continue at a steady and consistent pace. No Remorse maintains the same tone as the five previous films, while dishing out two intriguing crimes for audiences to become invested in.

There is a sense that with No Remorse the film series is now playing to the fanbase, with lots of familiar faces popping up in the mix, and references to past characters (Abby, Boomer, etc), but I’d argue there’s still room for newcomers. Jesse’s involvement in the Boston case opens up the story beyond the small town setting of Paradise, which in itself is quite inviting to anyone just jumping on board, while the convenience store robbery demonstrates a brutality which highlights Paradise is an intriguing place to invest time in.

And speaking of brutality, both of the crimes in No Remorse appear a little more graphic than usual. Nothing over the top, but there’s a slightly harder edge this time around, which takes things up a notch and again should appeal to newbies.

As with the previous films, Tom Selleck is on fine form as Jesse, who appears more disheveled and rattled in this entry. Without his job as chief of police, Jesse struggles to define his purpose, and Selleck sells the heck out of the part.

It’s good to see the series is still finding new ways to open up Jesse’s personality, and allow Selleck to grow with the role. Whether it’s Jesse’s interactions with Rose or his attempts to better connect with his dog, the series is still continuing to push forward, and this is a credit to all involved in these productions, including the film’s writers, Selleck and Michael Brandman.

There are some strong conversations in No Remorse, and Selleck and Brandman really hit the mark when needed. The best example of this is a conversation between Jesse and Dr. Dix about the latter’s final case, which is compelling stuff. 

Dix has been a part of the series since Death in Paradise, and in No Remorse audiences learn more about him in a short exchange than anything that has been offered up in three previous appearances. It only takes a few lines, but Dix becomes a more fleshed out character, and this highlights how good the writing is.

While I’m not entirely convinced everything works in No Remorse, with the two crime plots in particular falling a little short in their respective conclusions, there’s really not much to fault here. No Remorse remains on par with the previous Jesse Stone films, meaning there’s much to like, and if you’re a fan you get another enjoyable instalment.

The (mild) cliffhanger ending also means you will want to come back for the next film, but let’s be honest, it’s the consistency of this series which is the main draw. Every film so far has delivered, and No Remorse keeps things on track.

Should you want to check out No Remorse, the movie is widely available on DVD and digital download, including from Amazon US.

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Reviewer

Alex Wiggan

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