Echelon Conspiracy

Max Peterson is a young American computer engineer who receives an anonymous high-tech mobile phone while working abroad. The device sends him messages that guide his actions, first saving him from danger and then leading him to a large casino win, but it also draws the attention of security agents, federal authorities and other parties who want the phone for themselves. Pursuing the origin of the device, Max becomes caught between powerful interests and a conspiracy with international stakes.

Greg Marcks directed the film, his second feature after 11:14 (2004), from a screenplay by Kevin Elders and Michael Nitsberg. Shane West plays Max, with Edward Burns as John Reed, Ving Rhames as Agent Dave Grant and Martin Sheen as Raymond Burke. Produced by Steve Richards, Roee Sharon and Alexander Leyviman, the action thriller runs 105 minutes and was made as a co-production between Bulgaria and the United States.

Released in 2009, the film had a modest commercial footprint, with a worldwide box office of about 2 million USD. Audience responses were mixed but not hostile: it holds a 6.9/10 on IMDb from 559 votes and a 6.1/10 on TMDB from 504 votes. A critics' rating of 2.8/10 from 13 reviews points to a much less favourable professional reception than the audience scores suggest.