Blow the Man Down

A neo-noir small town thriller that thrives on the performances of its young leads and veteran supporting cast, Blow the Man Down is at the very least, an interesting original story that succeeds in atmosphere and tone. Even if it doesn't feel completely whole enough to be acclaimed. It felt like Fargo-lite, and that's not entirely a bad thing.

6.8/10

...and everyone fit their role and played their part perfectly, especially the sisters and June Squibb, who is always a joy to watch.

The directing was good, but the writing/screenplay could've been better, and had plot and technical issues. The pacing was a little slow and the 90 min runtime felt like 2 hours. The singing fishermen and obnoxious score were very annoying imo. However, the cinematography and sets were great. I know the critics liked this film, and its Fargo theme, but it's not my cup of storytelling tea. It's 6/10 all going to the cast.

Now of course reading my summary line you may draw the conclusion that this is not a big deal. But you may be quite wrong about that. On the other hand, the pacing of the movie might also make you draw certain conclusion ... or make you dislike it.

Would be a shame, because this is more than decent overall. The main characters are very well painted (no pun intended) and have their work cut out for them. Depending on your morals you will judge them and their actions differently of course.

Not the best of the bunch for me, but certainly above average ... if you can dig its vibe and its pace.

This is a story from the POV of the woman. All the women. Excellent sense of place and realistic portrayal of intrigue, power, protection, and betrayal. I enjoyed every minute and would recommend.

Everyone in Easter Cove, Maine has dark secrets, and they all unravel in a day or two - maybe for the better, maybe not. While the film captures the look and feel of a worn-out fishing village (I found the cinematography spot-on for the environment), the plot seemed a bit thin and contrived. As desperate as all the main characters were for change in their bleak lives, I had a hard time believing that they would have done the things they did, past and present. As the two sisters, Morgan Saylor and Sophie Lowe held their own with an ensemble cast of veteran character actors including June Squibb and Margo Martindale. A distracting enough way to pass an hour or so of social distancing.