If you are in it for the long game ... well you may have more success than others. But an interesting take and interesting character Sutherland gets to play here. Overall it still has its flaws (pacing and otherwise),but it is more than a decent thriller - casting alone made sure of that.

You may see where this is going and there are glimpses of two sides of Sutherland. Who is channeling quite a lot here. He came a long way since then, but he is multitalented, also playing music quite succesfully. Keep your expectations a bit low and you'll be more than entertained by what you get served here - no pun intended. Even if it is quite predictable.

Above all, I mean the opening and ending scenes, which could be different: the first killed a lot of thrill for subsequent events, the latter was too abrupt and short. The tensions are also not maintained high throughout the movie and events connected to the past remain vague and uncompleted. Dramatic scenes end as suddenly as they begin and do often not provide additional value to the movie; the plot does not run smoothly, the scenes are rather "minced".

But performances are good (Bridges, Baker, Kath) or great (Sutherland, Rogers); Madsen could have played a bigger part. The Killing Time fits quite well into its title, especially if you like something happening in a quiet American town, without constant chases and bursts.

Kiefer Sutherland is an unknown killer, who comes to a peaceful coastal town pretending to be the new deputy sheriff. He starts working with Sam Wayburn (the expressionless Beau Bridges) and Carl Cunningham (Joe Don Baker),who is going to retire. Sam is in love with his high school sweetheart Laura Winslow (Camelia Kath),who is married with a powerful and wealth man, Jake Winslow (Wayne Rogers). Sam and Laura decides to kill Jake and put the blame on the new comer, but things will not work as planned. This movie is not totally bad, although full of clichés and very predictable. The situations are easily resolved and the plot is neither moralist nor amoral: it is shallow. Maybe in the hands of the Cohen brothers or other good director, it could be a great movie. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "Tempo de Vingança" ("Time of Revenge")