Devil's Peak

The first 30 minutes I wasn't sold at all on this. Seemed like cliche, overdone premise with the same stuff I've seen a hundred times (which it kind of is). That being said, if you can get past that the rest is a pretty darn good indie film.

As the plot goes along the tension ramps up and you get a nice set up for the finale. I was definitely engaged and wanted to see Billy Bob's son escape the clutches of this meth littered backwoods town.

The acting really carries the script thru til the end, with Billy Bob and Hopper Penn leading the charge. It's definitely not perfect, it's low budget production quality and if you can get past those things it's an entertaining little movie. 6.4/10.

Don't trust the low rating. Billy Bob gives another captivating performance and the rest of the cast holds up as well. Hopper Penn especially did a nice job.

This is not a blockbuster though. It's a small cast in a small town setting but it still works. It's probably a 7 rating but I gave it an 8 to offset the negative ratings trying to take it down.

I watched this on a Saturday afternoon and just took my time with it. It does move slow but just stick with it and enjoy the performances. The scenes are well done and the actors really mesh. Hopefully, more Billy Bob fans will give it a watch and back up this review. It's a good film.

I love Billy Bob Thornton movies, but why he took on this script is a puzzle? Maybe as a favour to Sean Penn, whose son, Hopper Penn plays his son in this. He has his daddies name and somewhat of his hangdog looks, but acting talent and screen presence ? Nooo, at least, not yet. But then again, with the tired dialogue that the cast has been given, there are no outstanding performances here. Entirely populated with cut out characters , the psycho drug boss, incompetent minions, downtrodden wife, trailer trash mistress, corrupt police. And Its difficult to even tolerate, never mind to like, the young lovebirds, who we are supposed to be rooting for. Hence after 50 odd minutes of watching, I decided, I don't care what happens in the final half, and care less about who it happens to.

No plot spoilers, because, frankly, its a cookie cutter plot too. Its been done a hundred times before, probably 90 odd of them better.

And a mention of the video/audio quality. The video is overblown, daylight glare gives faces a cookie dough complexion, its impossible to get decent contrast, night scenes are bearable. This is also apparent in the the trailer as well, so its not a case of a bad copy. The dialogue audio is likewise overblown. In every scene, inside, outside, in a car.. they all sound the same, the rendition of the USA national anthem is..ermm..striking! This is magnified by the almost complete lack of ambient or atmospheric sounds, night scenes with barely a chirping cricket or rustling tree, street scenes with no traffic noise, restaurant scene with hardly a mumble from the other dozen or so patrons. It all sounds very claustrophobic.

Now that I have had a break, and some might say, a bit of a rant? I will attempt the next 50 minutes. If it improves, I will return and edit, but I doubt it.

Worth the watch, but don't expect big budget action here. This is a small movie about a small town & a man who believes he can control the place & everyone in it. Of course this never ends well, especially when the next generation falls for each other because then plans are made & trouble ensues. While the plot is somewhat prosaic the work of the central actors carries the film & thank goodness or this would have fallen a bit flat. Billy Bob Thornton is always impactful in whatever role he's in & he does do the menacing roles particularly well and Robin Wright has the ability to make her mark with a small role here but it's her son, Hopper Penn who does the heavy lifting here & manages to hold the film together on his own pretty well.

He has the right kind of melancholic face for this role, you know the 'poor boy down on his luck, nothin' going right' kinda face, well that works here. Not sure I could buy him in a tough, ruthless role but he brings enough emotion & tension to his performance to make this an engaging watch. Not memorable but engaging nonetheless.

Devil's Peak is based on the 2015 book Where All Light Tends To Go by David Joy. It explores a complex father/son relationship set against a backdrop of crime and corruption in small town America. Thornton and Wright are at the very top of their game, inhabiting their characters in a way that is at times haunting and heartbreaking. Thornton is mostly terrifying as Charlie McNeely, the drug king pin of the Appalachian mountains, but has moments of levity and humour that give his character an interesting depth. This slow burn of a film brilliantly wraps up with some very unexpected twists, turns and changing allegiances that leave the audience on the edge of their seat. The film takes you on a journey and is a very satisfying watch.