Nicole Kidman appears worlds away from her posh and polished life in HBO’s Big Little Lies as she assumes the role of a washed-up undercover federal agent in Karyn Kusama’s drama, Destroyer.

A vehicle for Kidman to show she too can play dirty, Destroyer hangs in the balance of being a powerful, character-driven movie but its melodramatic and often frustrating storyline may find it challenging to connect with audiences. The film, which is being released in theaters on Christmas Day, may be devoid of holiday spirit, but there is no shortage of alcoholic spirits if that makes up for it.

Nicole Kidman is practically unrecognizable as she transforms into the disheveled detective Erin Bell, complete with a slight underbite and yellowed teeth. It’s obvious that she’s had a rough go of things as of late, when we first meet her, she is waking up in her car under a bridge. She arrives at the scene of a crime, a John Doe murder, and immediately is struck by two very specific clues on the unidentified man’s body. First, a neck tattoo consisting of three consecutive circles, and second, a couple $100 bills with purple ink markings, indicating the money had been stolen. This is the starting point that sends Detective Bell down an obsessive spiral of delusion as she sets out to solve the mystery, alone.

There is so much more beneath the surface that makes this John Doe particularly captivating to Detective Bell. As told through a series of flashbacks from nine years ago, which act as a second narrative, we learn that Bell was placed undercover with a fellow officer, Chris (Sebastian Stan), to infiltrate and win over the trust of a drug-dealing gang in the California desert. Her time undercover was riddled with anxiety and heartache and, upon discovery of this newly deceased body, Detective Bell relives those tumultuous times by revisiting the members of the gang to finally seek justice.

Director Karyn Kusama’s Los Angeles-set crime drama is captivating in its visual aesthetic. In certain scenes, like those that take place in the desert, the color is whitewashed and blown out, giving off a feeling of stuffy discomfort. It looks as if the sun is melting away Bell’s exterior shell to reveal her inner truth, which she must hold onto in order to save her life. The film’s soundtrack, composed by Theodore Shapiro, adds a beautiful, erratic quality to the cat and mouse game unfolding on screen.

The real anchor here is Kidman who, without a doubt, is the best part about Destroyer. She colors outside of the lines as we are used to seeing her in roles that are less physically demanding. Here she handles machine guns like a champion, takes punches to the gut without giving up, and has emotional breakdowns in nearly every scene. It’s an impressive performance, although at times Kidman sounds like she took a reference from Christian Bale’s line delivery in The Dark Knight. 

While Kidman’s transformation is praiseworthy, her character development plays too heavy and melodramatic to not feel personally burdened by Bell’s misfortune. It’s understood that Bell’s life has been going downhill due to an awful event nearly ten years ago, yet there are many points in the film when I wondered why she was still obsessively reeling in the tragedy, despite having a child, a husband, and a career. What is the catalyst for living as a rambling alcoholic who doesn’t ever change her clothes and sleep in her car? Wouldn’t someone have intervened during those last nine years? And if not, how the hell has she kept her job as a detective for all this time if she consistently showed up drunk and disheveled?

Angelinos will appreciate Kusama’s unique nods to the city, including multiple references to a Dodger game and a specific storage unit in Koreatown (only a couple blocks away from where I work). The payoff at the end brought a slight smile to my face- the only one I had throughout the duration of the film- take that to mean what you wish. There is no denying that Kusama has created a bold film starring a strong female protagonist, and while that is something we need more of onscreen, it’s a shame that Destroyer falls somewhat flat as an inspiration for future filmmakers to emulate.    

‘Destroyer’ is rated R for language throughout, violence, some sexual content, and brief drug use. 123 minutes.