Brimstone (2016)

From the moment the new reverend climbs the pulpit, Liz knows she and her family are in great danger.

Director:

Martin Koolhoven

Writer:

Martin Koolhoven

Stars:

Guy Pearce, Dakota Fanning, Emilia Jones

11 wins & 12 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Guy Pearce	...	The Reverend
Dakota Fanning	...	Liz
Emilia Jones	...	Joanna
Carice van Houten	...	Anna
Kit Harington	...	Samuel
Paul Anderson	...	Frank
William Houston	...	Eli
Charlotte Croft	...	Abigail
Ivy George	...	Sam
Bill Tangradi	...	Nathan
Jack Roth	...	Wolf
Jack Hollington	...	Matthew
Carla Juri	...	Elizabeth Brundy
Vera Vitali	...	Sally
Naomi Battrick	...	Narrator / Older Sam

Storyline

A triumphant epic of survival and a tale of powerful womanhood and resistance against the unforgiving cruelty of a hell on earth. Our heroine is Liz (Dakota Fanning), carved from the beautiful wilderness, full of heart and grit, hunted by a vengeful Preacher (Guy Pearce) - a diabolical zealot and her twisted nemesis. But Liz is a genuine survivor; she's no victim - a woman of fearsome strength who responds with astonishing bravery to claim the better life she and her daughter deserve. Fear not. Retribution is coming.

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Plot Keywords:

rape | obsession | reverend | retribution | preacher | 

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Taglines:

Retribution is coming

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Genres:

Drama | Mystery | Thriller | Western

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for brutal bloody violence, strong sexual content including disturbing behavior, graphic nudity, and language

Did You Know?

Trivia

Writer/director Martin Koolhoven has acknowledged the influence that both The Night of the Hunter (1955) and Once Upon a Time in the West (1968) had, especially on the depiction of the Reverend character, played by Guy Pearce. It is interesting that he plays a reverend who immigrated from The Netherlands to America, where the character of Reverend Harry Powell from The Night of the Hunter (1955) was based on the murderer Harry Powers, who was born in The Netherlands and had moved to America. His real name was Herman Drenth. Koolhoven also admitted to have been subconsciously influenced by how Sergio Leone introduced the Harmonica and Cheyenne characters in Once Upon a Time in the West (1968): his Reverend character is also first heard approaching and noticed by bystanders, but not seen on camera, and the final reveal of his face occurs very slowly.

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Goofs

When hanging up the laundry at the start of the film, the articles of clothing change.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Liz: [narrating] As life progresses, images blur. All that remains are memories. Some of them true, some of them false. I remember her well - at least I think I do. She was a warrior. In the old century, you had to be in order to survive.

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Connections

Referenced in De Kijk van Koolhoven: Spaghettiwestern (2018)

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Soundtracks

Abide With Me
Written by Henry F. Lyte (as Henry Francis Lyte) and William H. Monk (as William Henry Monk)

User Reviews

Portrays the dark side of the religion while maintaining the suspense until the end

I am so glad I took the chance to watch it before premier. This movie may not have "the most unexpected ending"-factor like other top thrillers.However, the great acting and the setting manages to keep that thrill alive until the end.

As pointed by others, it is not suitable for faint-hatred and you may encounter some violent scenes which may make you feel utterly disgusted but this makes the film more realistic and leaves you craving for justice.

If TV-series like Game of thrones, Outlander, West World intrigues you this will as well.

Details

Official Sites:

Official Site Official site [Japan]

Country:

Netherlands France Germany Belgium Sweden UK USA

Language:

English Dutch

Release Date:

12 January 2017 (Netherlands)

Also Known As:

Brimstone

Filming Locations:

Forstberg, Mühlhausen, Thüringen, Germany

Box Office

Budget:

EUR12,000,000 (estimated)

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$2,140,941

Company Credits

Production Co:

N279 Entertainment, Proton Cinema, Backup Media

Technical Specs

Runtime:

148 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color (ACES)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1