A low-budget run-of-the-mill SABAN backed production which is a fairly templated story with a very expected ending. However, solid acting mainly by Josh Hartnett and Sofia Hublitz does make this movie quite watchable. The brother (Frank Grillo) is okay, but I felt the character he is playing is not believable and annoying at times.
To me, there is way too much time devoted to shooting and killing, especially when the budget doesn't allow for creative angles and convincing special effects, but the real big miss of this movie is no doubt, the decision to base the story around Wyatt (Harnett) instead of focusing on the daughter, Darla.
Sofia Hublitz was already great in The Ozark, but in that instance, there was actually interesting story happening with the rest of the family. In the case of "Ida Red" (dumb name, btw). I felt I was turned off by the shooting scenes and the pointless banter scenes between Wyatt and his sister or brother in-law. This also includes the ending which inevitably leaves the viewers yearning for more . INSTEAD - make the story about Darla, and how a teen-aged girl confronts the challenges of being raised in a crime family, then you might have something really worth spending your time on. Unbelievably, Hublitz is not even registered as one of the 'stars' of this movie. Go figure.
It's a real shame that the producers couldn't make this read. I wish this industry would listen more to focus groups and less to made-to-order scripts, but seem here this is what you are going to get. Exact score: 58 / 100.
To me, there is way too much time devoted to shooting and killing, especially when the budget doesn't allow for creative angles and convincing special effects, but the real big miss of this movie is no doubt, the decision to base the story around Wyatt (Harnett) instead of focusing on the daughter, Darla.
Sofia Hublitz was already great in The Ozark, but in that instance, there was actually interesting story happening with the rest of the family. In the case of "Ida Red" (dumb name, btw). I felt I was turned off by the shooting scenes and the pointless banter scenes between Wyatt and his sister or brother in-law. This also includes the ending which inevitably leaves the viewers yearning for more . INSTEAD - make the story about Darla, and how a teen-aged girl confronts the challenges of being raised in a crime family, then you might have something really worth spending your time on. Unbelievably, Hublitz is not even registered as one of the 'stars' of this movie. Go figure.
It's a real shame that the producers couldn't make this read. I wish this industry would listen more to focus groups and less to made-to-order scripts, but seem here this is what you are going to get. Exact score: 58 / 100.