History Film / SafeHouse

* BatmanGambit: Frost walks into the American consulate and tells the guard his name, knowing he'll be red-flagged and taken into custody, allowing him to stay out of reach of his pursuers; [[spoilers: presumably knowing they would come for him later, affording him a chance to escape from both.]]

* BatmanGmabit: Frost walks into the American consulate and tells the guard his name, knowing he'll be red-flagged and taken into custody, allowing him to stay out of reach of his pursuers; [[spoilers: presumably knowing they would come for him later, affording him a chance to escape from both.]]

* XanatosSpeedChess: Tobin Frost, again, is a master at this. [[spoiler: After being attacked by one of Vargas' goons in the restroom, Frost rightly assumed there are more waiting to kill him and take the file. He persuades a pimp to switch hat and coats with him and walk out the front, taking the bullet meant for him while he and Wade escape out the back. After Wade is shot and crashes their getaway car, Frost ends up fleeing on foot then ducks into the U.S. Consulate when he's cornered.]]

* ManipulativeBastard: Tobin Frost....my God, Tobin Frost. He's stated in-universe as having "literally re-wrote the book" on agency interrogation protocols after successfully interviewing and flipping high-value subjects.

* RedHerringMole: [[spoiler: The seeds are planted early on that Linklater is the mole trying to kill Frost until Barlow suddenly shoots her dead revealing it was him all along.]]

* ImportantHaircut: After Tobin [[spoiler: manages to escape from Weston]], he cuts his unkempt hair and shaves his face, also signifying [[sppoiler: the change in narrative from the conflict between them into the conflict between them and the rouge CIA elements out to kill them.]]

Matt Weston (RyanReynolds) is a CIA rookie who is manning a safe house in Cape Town, South Africa, when Tobin Frost (DenzelWashington) the CIA's most wanted rogue agent is captured and taken to the safe house. During Frost's interrogation, the safe house is overtaken by mercenaries who want Frost. Weston and Frost escape and must stay out of the gunmen's sight until they can get to another safe house.

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* [[spoiler:AndTheAdventureContinues: Weston, in the end, decides to defect from the CIA and go rogue, just like Frost once did, although it's hinted Frost had different motives behind his defection]].

* [[spoiler:[[CIAEvilFBIGood CIA Evil, CIA Good]]: The CIA is both trying to protect Frost AND kill him at the same time]]
* [[spoiler:DefectorFromDecadence: Weston. Frost is an arguable case]].

** [[spoiler: Also, [[MoleInCharge the Deputy Director of the CIA]]]].
* [[spoiler:RedemptionEqualsDeath: Frost]].

** JackBauerInterrogationTechnique: [[spoiler:Weston does this to a mook to try to figure out who's after them. It's the CIA.]]

* EnforcedMethodActing: Denzel Washington did get waterboarded

* NamesTheSame: As a 1998 made-for-TV movie starring PatrickStewart.

* NamesTheSame: As a 1998 made-for-TV movie starring Patrick Stewart.

** [[spoiler: Also, the Deputy Director of the CIA]].

Matt Weston (Ryan Reynolds) is a CIA rookie who is manning a safe house in Cape Town, South Africa, when Tobin Frost (DenzelWashington) the CIA's most wanted rogue agent is captured and taken to the safe house. During Frost's interrogation, the safe house is overtaken by mercenaries who want Frost. Weston and Frost escape and must stay out of the gunmen's sight until they can get to another safe house.

* AlmightyJanitor: Weston, to a certain degree, he is tasked with "housekeeping"

* TortureTechnician: Kiefer, a CIA agent, waterboards Frost.

* FallenHero: A majority in the CIA consider Frost to be this.

** JackBauerInterrogationTechnique: [[spoiler:Weston does this to a mook to try to figure out who's after them]]

* BreakHerHeartToSaveHer: Weston to his girlfriend.

* TheMole: [[spoiler: Barlow, Weston's mentor and his ardent defender at CIA HQs]].

* TheScapegoat: [[spoiler:Just as Frost predicted, Weston realizes the CIA HQ's is trying to put the blame on him for the safehouse breach and Frost's escape]].

** JackBauerInterrogationTechnique: [[spoiler:Weston does this to a mook to try to figure out who's after them]]