So this little diddy caught my attention a while ago while surfing some foreign film fest darling trailers. It looked interesting, different, and had a fair bit of critical acclaim behind it. You know, the usual indie darling. And I Charles Boonsweet, love me some indie gold.
Here's a problem, indie films are not held to the standards of film making that your mainstream films are. Now if you're reading this and thinking but Boony that's what makes the independent film genre so damn awesome, in fact haven't you said this many times? You would be right. However, it also means that filmmakers can really make a film with no reasonable, or logical restraints and hide behind the title of "art house flick" rather than being forced to make a film with coherency or you know... proper plot development. Sadly, this film suffers that fate.
Story goes two good friends, who are also very talented hit men, are now living the family life. Well one of them is. He has a wife, a son, and a rather crappy 9 to 5. The other is living one woman, and one bottle at a time. The later convinces family man to come off the bench and get back in for one more job. Several names on a list that they kill for big bucks. So all the elements are hear to start off; cool characters, twisting plot, dark leader of some cult behind the scenes. Watching the family man resort to his violent ways is nuts, and graphic, very graphic. Hammers... every once and a while I am reminded they are not just household friendly.
So, everything is going good... and then in about the last 20-25 minutes things just take a left turn to WTF. Near as I can tell, the cult is a super cult of violence, family guy hitman is a wanted commodity for evil demon worship, and he must bath in the blood and orgasm of violence to be excepted. You follow that? Did I mention sacrifices, KKK wannabes, and um... maybe the devil? Things just go way off grid.
I like off grid. I like a film challenging the norm. But it has to have some redeeming value. Some connection. I have to believe if at first I don't fully understand, perhaps I will by the 2nd or 38th viewing. This film will never be any clearer, it;s just messed up. Period. A film the director and writer understand fully, and the audience will either not understand and call brilliant, or walk out going. That sucked.
Just so much left unanswered. The connection between his wife and his past life seemed really interesting why did we get no more of that? If she was some super hit woman, would she get taken down so easily?
And lastly...
1 question...
If you are surrounded by a crazy cult, near your home, and a giant stumbling thing comes out you with blood stains under a giant sheet, and a cult guy hands you a bat, are you um... just gunna start hitting it and continue until it stops moving? Or you know... would you and your badass skills maybe think about taking out the cult bastards circling you? Just retarded.
Cool idea. Horribly executed and concluded.
Movie scale 2 out of 5 stars
Cult/horror scale 2.5 out of 5 stars
Boony saying this one really let me down. I'm out.
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