Red Right Hand

Red Right Hand is a suspense/crime/thriller which takes place in rural Kentucky and focuses on the decay of the rural American family due to an inability to scrape a decent living. The most ironic name goes to the main character, Cash (played by Orlando Bloom with a strong performance and a better Southern accent than I could hope to conjure) and his brother Wilder (Garret Dillahunt). Without deviating from the well tread formula that films like this normally take, it adds a few twists now and then.

First, there is the strong performance by the antagonist Big Cat (played by Andie MacDowell (who usually plays in comedies but nonetheless proves her mettle here in a villainous role). She quickly shows that she means business, and yet there is an unspecified history between Big Cat and Cash.

Another strong role is the daughter (played by newcomer Chapel Oaks) who convincingly shows her wisdom beyond that of the two men raising her throughout the film. She gives a strong sense of female independence and like nearly everyone in the film, knows a thing or two about guns.

Speaking of guns, Obama famously complained that rural America clung to its bibles and guns. That's true here too but I would add two more to the list (at least according to this movie): big rigs and farm animals.

Overall, it's an enjoyable story but not one you haven't seen before with a few exceptions.

7/10.

Red Right Hand (2024) is a gritty, violent, somewhat depressing film with enough understated woke elements to distract and leave audiences wondering how much better it could have been.

The film seems almost schizophrenic in attempting realism in a genre that naturally gravitates toward right wing elements. Two graphic scenes depict brutal interrogations, but conducted by the villains. The chief villain is played by a woman with an army of male henchmen and a kinky boytoy. The one good cop on a corrupt force is a black guy. There is a lot of storm-trooper style gunplay and other violence, but much of it is off-camera. A scene involving violence toward a female is handled so obliquely as to leave the audience wondering what, if anything, happened. A young girl is taught to use a rifle and a knife, but the hero often finds himself without a gun or without bullets.

Orlando Bloom is excellent playing a backwoodsman with a lot of conflicts. He delivers a highly credible, nuanced performance. Garret Dillahunt also delivers a very credible performance as the preacher/sidekick. Andie MacDowell plays the antagonist in an over-the-top two-dimensional comic-book mode. None of the male characters seem to have any current romantic partners, although one spends a lot of time pining over his dead wife. What passes as the B-story love angle is the platonic relationship between Cash (Bloom) and his niece, which occupies a lot of screen time without managing to be particularly interesting.

Production values are adequate. Scenery and costumes seem authentic. Overall, the movie is watchable, but not truly satisfying. It's too timid for action fans, but perhaps too gritty for drama fans. The lack of any romantic angles leaves the characters seeming incomplete.

It is one thing to have a very good cast of stars (Bloom, McDowel,Dillahunt) to attracts viewers to your movie. It is another challenge to have a sensible, workable and engaging script that the viewer can follow with intent and delight. It is yet another aspect to have a production, directing and editing crew that ensures an engaging element to the viewing experience

Sadly, in this case, only the first aspect is present - great cast, thus the question : "Oh, Orlando... WHY!" It is heartbreaking to see such talent wasted on this triviality only for the crew to say "we had Mr Bloom in our movie!". Shame on you

It was with painful admission that I could not continue my viewing past the hour mark. It was that unhinged, uninteresting and quite simply BORING. With better directing (and editing) this movie could well have been a great 7.5. It is not about the story (we have seen this too many times) but the senselessness of wasted screen time where just nothing happens.... or the opposite to what humans normally do to be of assistance to family

As for that... if you want Mr Dillahunt to go through bottles of hard tac, then at least GIVE him some real stuff so that he can actually BE drunk and not sometimes appear quite sober after a few shots

It took me a few days to go back to see the second half.... I could not stay for the end.... Perhaps Mr Bloom's agents were a bit over eager to sign him up for this one. I am sure there are much better offers out there who would be able to work with this talented actor

Final statement : rather go watch Sesame Street with your popcorn.

This movie was a perfect example of how you can't trust most people's ratings. If you want an entertaining movie with a dark protagonist trying to be good but has to let his violent side back out for his family, then you'll like this movie. Orlando Bloom's performance was very good and I thought everyone else did a more than fine job. It did not feel like a B movie. It kept my attention the whole time and I didn't find myself checking my phone. People who are giving this anything less than a 6 are just pretentious and believe every movie has to be Oscar nominated. Just go into it knowing what you are getting and you will be entertained.

RED RIGHT HAND is a film I rather enjoyed, unlike a lot of reviewers here. Its a very small scale, low budget feel kind of movie, set in one of those rural towns in the American Midwest where an unlikely kingpin holds sway over the population. Andie McDowell, who I've never rated as an actress, does a fair approximation of evil in this against-type role, while Orlando Bloom also goes against type as the redneck hero unwittingly drawn back into her criminal schemes. Dillahunt has a fine supporting role as the town's preacher. The plot's familiar but the action is well handled and the film is admirably gritty. The final shoot-out in particular impresses.