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Stars: Joseph Gray, Chris Bylsma, Nick Saxton, Joseph Bezenek, Tiffany Cornwell, Megan Hensley, Charles O’Haver, Christine Weber, Vanessa Gamble | Written by Charlie Griak, Daniel Bielinski | Directed by Charlie Griak

End of the Rope, directed by Charlie Griak, is a crime mystery film set in 1931 North Dakota. The narrative centres on the sudden disappearance of a family in the small town of Schafer, leading to suspicion falling upon Charles Bannon, a farmhand with a dubious reputation. The film delves into the community’s quest for justice, culminating in the state’s last recorded lynching.​

One of the film’s standout features is its commitment to authenticity. The production team utilized historic sites, such as the Schafer Jail and the Fairview Lift Bridge, to ground the story in its true historical context. This attention to detail is evident in the set designs and locations, which effectively transport viewers to the era.​

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Based on a true story from North Dakota, on the last known lynching in the state, End of the Rope by Charlie Griak is a cruel showcase of pent-up anger in a large number of people. Adapted from Dennis Edward Johnson’s novel of the same title, Griak does a wonderful job at portraying McKenzie County and what unfolded there in 1931. Barring the extended length of the film, this historical drama is a captivating insight into the events that took place.

Spoilers Ahead

What happens in the movie?

CA Jacobson, the sheriff of the small town of Schafer, North Dakota, loses his two daughters when his house catches fire. The townsfolk believe that the only person present there at that time, the farmhand Charles Bannon, set the fire. CA drowned in the grief and decided to step down from his Sheriff duties to start a secluded life as a farmer alongside his wife Sara.

Your browser does not support the video tag. End of the Rope sheds light on North Dakota's last lynching in a tense Western thriller that historians of that specific place and era have lauded. The film follows the growing anger after the disappearance of a farm family, which remains a disturbing mystery. Directed by Charlie Griak, with Joseph Gray as Sheriff Jacobson, this film intertwines the dusty cowboy aesthetics of Westerns with a relevant history lesson.

"In the early morning hours of January 29, 1931, a mob broke into the small stone jail at Schafer, North Dakota, and seized Charles Bannon. The mob hanged Bannon from a nearby bridge. It was North Dakota's last lynching," reads Mike Hagburg's piece on the history of North Dakota courts. The story is now being told in the tense Western thriller, End of the Rope, which will be released on demand and on digital platforms May 17. It's a dusty,...

“End of the Rope” is a new ‘Old West’ thriller, directed by Charlie Griak, starring Joseph Gray, Chris Bylsma, Joseph Bezenek, Nick Saxton, Tiffany Cornwell, Megan Hensely, Christine Weber and Charles O’Haver, releasing May 17, 2024:

“…’Sheriff CA Jacobson’ and ‘States Attorney Sam Taylor’ try to find out what happened to the ‘Haven Family’.

“When accusations turn to the Haven’s troubled farmhand ‘Charles Bannon’, the two not only have to solve a potential murder but try to hold a whole town together that seems dangerously set on vengeance…”

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