Review: Thriller ‘Inconceivable’ wastes Gina Gershon and Nicolas Cage in creaky throwback

A throwback to the days of gynophobic thrillers like “Fatal Attraction” and “Single White Female,” the laughably stilted “Inconceivable” is mostly notable for who’s in it — and how poorly served they are by the script and direction.

Nicky Whelan stars as Katie, a single mom on the run, who befriends Angie (Gina Gershon), a doctor whose daughter was born from another woman’s egg. Nicolas Cage plays Angie’s husband, Brian, a surgeon who goes along with his wife’s plan to have another child, with Katie as the surrogate mother.

Screenwriter Chloe King (a veteran of this genre) uses surrogacy as the backdrop for a ridiculously simplistic “Hand That Rocks the Cradle”-style story about women driven mad by motherhood and envy. First-time feature-director Jonathan Baker keeps the pace too slack and the tone too earnest — and sometimes fails to convey basic visual information about what’s happening.

It’s mildly interesting to see Cage playing what would traditionally be a role for an overqualified actress: the concerned spouse who pops by every scene or two to deliver a line that keeps the plot moving. But ultimately his presence, like Gershon’s, is a distraction, raising questions about how two accomplished actors ended up in something so piddling.

Fans of these kinds of movies may be tempted to check out “Inconceivable” for nostalgia’s sake. But if Cage or Gershon ever wins a lifetime achievement Oscar, they won’t likely be including any clips from this film in their highlight reel.

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‘Inconceivable’

Rating: R, for some violence, sexuality, nudity and language

Running time: 1 hour, 46 minutes

Playing: Laemmle Music Hall, Beverly Hills

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