User reviews

I don't know how this has such a high rating or why people have rated it anything over a 5. It started out really interesting, I quite liked the casting of adult Oscar and found his transition believable. However the movie ends just as soon as it gets going, literally! It was like the director ran out of money or time, or that they didn't know how to write a good ending to the film.

The soundtrack/score was good and atmospheric. The acting was good too. Overall though the movie could have been so much better as it was very promising at the start. Avoid this movie to avoid disappointment... still in disbelief at the waste of potential this movie had.

Michael Pitt is always good, but one can't help but wonder why this film exists. Very little happens and it goes nowhere.

(watching this with the entire cast and director sitting behind me was an awkward experience)

Reading thru other reviews as I downloaded this, deciding if it was worth watching, I decided it was, with good actors but within 20 minutes my mind was spinning as I asked myself repeatedly "where have I seen this before"? But it wasn't the plot, nor were it the actors. It was a riff on Oliver Twist. So if any adults are familiar with Fagin and the concept of the "kid school for criminals" then this will look familiar. Is it worth watching? That's up to you. I didn't mind it. But it wasn't great.

Objectively: Plot holes too numerous to list but a major problem is the casting of the principals, Loux and Oscar. The features of the young actors are dramatically different from the adults but this can be excused in that I imagine that this can be a challenge. What is inexcusable is that Michael Pitt (adult Oscar) has different eye color to Mitchell Paulsen (young Oscar) and Madilyn Kellam (young Loux) has different eye color to Sam Quartin (adult Loux). Subjectively: Film is cast, directed and the script is written by very mediocre talent and by people that do not understand and have not researched the way packs of street kids work and interact together. The scene where Oscar "teaches" prospective tween muggers to commit armed robbery is ludicrous. Young inexperienced kids drawing guns in broad daylight, in the middle of a busy city?! Unrealistic. Adult Oscar does a high level disarming action and disarms and then trains the hand guns on not one but two of the trainees and then berates them for their error. Reasonable, I suppose if they are expected to be able to rob Jason Bourne. So this feeble sophomoric production meanders through its low-grade, implausible plot, with a cast of "street kids" that look more like kids on a field trip from a local prep school than street wise urchins ready to participate in armed robbery.

Newb (his third resume entry - this his second full length feature film) producer, writer and director John Swab did a decent job in the directing department, but the writing was a mess. I understood the story he was trying to tell, but it had many plot and technical issues, with choppy scenes. Had a seasoned writer made some edits, the story would've been much better told. Cinematography was great, the score decent, and the acting and casting on point, although Michael Pitt's performance and/or character was bland for the most part. Otherwise, not a bad film from a newbie filmmaker. 7/10 from me

I only watched the movie because of the high rating. If I have first seen the users reviews, I would have not wasted my time!

I enjoyed this film. It was an independant low budget crime story of youth without consequence. Essentially teens that spent their life robbing and holding up people. It was a life that was an escape for Oscar from his abusive father only later to repeat as the movie jumps forward 15 years. Michael Pitt amazes me with his diverse roles and again creates another character that is far removed from himself. He looks damaged, he looks on edge yet has a strange moral compass and a deep down love for his family and those that he holds dear. Ron Pearlman provides a believable performance although perhaps something that we have seen a few times before...

The story didn't overly have a strong plot or a deeper underlying message and certainly no real consequence for the crimes they were all commiting which may of added an interesting element to the movie but was interesting enough as it progressed to make you invested in the characters and enough action to keep you entertained.

Ending (NO SPOILERS HERE) was odd imo as I would like to have know what happened next, but as the director said its the kind of movie where you can go home and think about it and kinda make your own mind up.

Enjoyable ride none the less.

If you want to watch some degenerates for an hour and a half without anything deeper, then go ahead.

It is bland and dull. I literally just watched a scene of a stereotyped southern man snoring on a porch for what felt like 2 whole minutes.

The story is stolen from better films and you get nothing worth your time here.

3/10 incredibly weak effort.

Outstanding performances by the whole cast not going to pick anybody out they all shined Why so much hate I dont get believe me I dont like hard to follow films, heck I watched tenet and left more confused then before I saw it. This film was easy to follow and had a great friendship message it was a dark one but it's a testament to a true friendship. Excellent direction and filming was decent watch and enjoy a great thriller drama!!!!!!!!!!

This is waaaay better than expected. The director kept things well controlled and for the most part, understated, while telling a gritty, somewhat brutal Fagin-esque myth/story with good performances from everyone, including the kids.

I hated this movie for showing us negative stuff like mafia, robberies, crime, violence, betrayal, revenge. Only feelings of anger and sadness. Then characters are mixed up and it is unclear who is who. Adult copies of young same characters are looking too different both by look and by character. Then story is unfinished. Too many things disconnected, nonsesnse, unexplained, occured without cause or solution. Very bad experience. Not comfortable to watch at least for people who don't like complex things and negativity (social and emotional).

Ok so I saw the 7.3 score and thought this must be good. 5 minutes into the film I sat thinking this film really isn't looking very good. So I looked at the score table. Have a look yourself and see if it makes any sense, it doesn't. I think somewhere the maths is wrong.

I only rated as high as I did because parts of the story really seemed to work and was interesting to see where it's going. However there is too much confusing non sense and the editing seems to ignore crucial detail so at times you're like wtf is happening? Why did that happen? And the ending omg did they run out of money? What a dumb waste of potential.

Not a bad movie at all, like the story and enjoyed seeing some actors from other shows i used to watch.

Kinda lame story that could've been fleshed out a bit more, but I guess if you know the basics of the plot you'll be able to piece it together. Too much time was spent on the main character's youth and not enough on his rise in their organization. I have to wonder, was the director, John Swab, totally against asking the more experienced actors how they thought things were going or if they had any ideas? I'd imagine they'd have been able to help a little. Maybe he did? I can just see Michael Pitt & Ron Perlman rollin' up to the set, "Blah blah blah - that good? Okay, see you tomorrow", then they leave.

Whatever...skip this one.

How can it be possible that people are not able to understand that the movie had to finish in that way? It's the only plausible end, period. Stop saying that it could be better, everything could be better, but are you really sure you, just you, that you would shoot a better movie? I'm sorry, no way! The problem is that some people having the opportunity of managing a score, they feel like a King who can do anything he wants, but it doesn't work like that. Just an idiot can give only 1 star to a movie like this, that means your brain doesn't work and you're not able to rate. If you didn't like the movie is OK, not everyone has to like it, it's normal, but giving 1 star, seriously? Great acting, right pace, good directing, a story that sometimes works and sometimes doesn't, like the life depicted in the movie, so perfectly credible. Anyway, enjoy this nice movie!

I liked the trailer and I'm a fan of Michael Pitt, so I gave it a chance.

It is a very predictable and dry, seems like a story that's been told many times before. Michael Pitt aside, there is no stand out characters. No development really in any of them and it comes across very rushed.

Michael Pitt is such a star in everything he does, I read he picks odd moves for artistic reasons but he deserves better than this. He plays the troubled white trash lad so well, he does not disappoint. However the movie does, it's a waste of time drama which lacks direction.

I wouldn't recommend this unless you're a Pitt fan and want to see his skills however he's only in half the movie.

The screen play for this movie would make an extraordinary novel. It brings to the fore front the problems that disenfranchised individuals are faced with in America today.

Taking a truly unremarkable rural boy and forcing him to confront the demon that terrorized his young friend, and forcing to flee because he acted could have been the plot of a big screen blockbuster. Skip ahead 15 years and you see how his decision changed not only his life but the life of those he held dear.

Ron Pearlman gives a believable performance in this touching love story

This was really an original story , a shocker really on the human level, its a story about the lost and loosin children, being brought up by lost and loosing grownups, living and pouching the streets of tulsa, OK. its a weird film at many levels, but it eats you out along the plot, and the 100 minutes gets warped away, unlike mr perlman who doesnt age during the 15 years of thi films timeline, this is a riddle of einsteinian warp speed on the mind. that is one of the few glitches i can find in this crime drama flick.

the score of this flick are marvellous, so if your blind, just listen to it.the vast variation of sound and rythm are superb. though one might feel the makers are just scratching the surface of the subject, you might be right. but the sadness of the story becomes deep enough in the end believe me. the acting are merely over the average, the tress amigos seniores, perlman , booth jr and forsythe are just marvelous on the act. the kid actors are a bit stiff at times, but they pretend very well.

the grumpy old man havent seen the kind since the 80's, so have a look its not a 10, but its very near.recommended