Valley of Bones

Dingy, violent little number, about a paleontologist ( recently out of prison, and trying to redeem herself, obligatorily ) who receives a tip from a meth junkie ( with vaguely defined ties to, and undefined debt to, a drug cartel who is threatening his family ) about a tyrannosaurus Rex buried on a desolate plot of land in North Dakota, which could potentially be worth a fortune.

Characters with overly cluttered backgrounds people this well photographed drama/ Western/ horror thriller, which never climaxes, so much as it just stops, with no resolution to any of its numerous plot lines. However, if we were to take out the overly complex character backgrounds, all we would be left with is the odd story of an archaeological dig, with the vaguely defined prize going to the undefined highest bidder, and again, some good cinematography, making good use of the bleak North Dakota land.

This is another film ( similar to The Gracefield Incident, from a month or two ago ) which was filmed several years ago ( in this case, this was filmed from 5 October 2015 - 2 November 2015 ) and sat unreleased until its abrupt, barely advertised limited release ( in September 2017 ) and has barely any information on its IMDb page, or Wikipedia page, and doesn't have a Boxofficemojo page, and didn't get a Thursday night preview screening. I saw a trailer for this one single time, about a week ago, and there was a standee in the cinema lobby, and apparently that was all of the promotion this received.

Edit: it now has a Boxofficemojo page, and this opened in a limited release, on only three hundred screens, bringing in $164.738, placing it at number 44 for opening weekend. The following week, it plummeted from 300 screens down to only 13, and from 44th down to 105th place.

Disgraced paleontologist Anna (Autumn Reeser) is desperate for money and a successful dig. She was imprisoned for digging on government land. Her young son Ezekiel is bitter and feels abandoned by her. She is annoyed with Ezekiel's uncle Nate, but he has a tip from McCoy. Unbeknownst to them, McCoy is a troubled drug addict with issues. Kimberly is the land owner.

I really like digging into the darker side of paleontology. It's not Indy where he is always preaching about giving the treasures to museums. I expected more thrills. I expected the drug dealers to come attack the group. I fully expected McCoy to go off, but I would like a few more bad guys. The story is a little slow. This could have been better.

Valley of the Bones is provocative story with stand out performances. Director Dan Glaser really endows his film with great twists and surprises. Glaser's direction throughout the piece shows innovative, suspenseful moments that keep the viewer on the edge of where the story is going next.

Steven Molony gives an absolutely enthralling performance as the self destructive McCoy. His scenes with Autumn Reeser resonate in a grounded, empathetic manner. Together they show the complex intertwined themes of love and loss that the film has to offer.

Other cast members make their mark in this film as well. Mark Margolis is delightfully dangerous as El Papá! Also, Alexandra Blllings and Mason Mahay both give resounding, credible performances.

The Cinematography is handled quite well too. There are some exceptional views of lovely landscapes and great action shots.

Overall the film leaves you with a contemplative awe. The viewer will take away a long lasting impression of these motley characters, and the compelling storytelling that is forged.

Dan Glaser's Valley of Bones is a compelling cinematic exploration of an interesting hybrid of genres. The kid in you watches wide-eyed at the mystique of paleontology and the "fortune and glory" that comes with uncovering dinosaur bones, while the thrill junkie in you is overcome with intrigue as a man who gets involved with the wrong people has to face the grueling consequences.

The film has guts, both literally and figuratively. The director (Glaser) and lead actors (Molony and Reeser), don't pull any punches and therefore, thrash its audience perfectly through a roller-coaster ride of tension, heart, and unpredictability. Molony gives a stunning and nuanced performance as a desperate-addict-turned-drug-monster, mastering the characterization of a very complicated and sensitive man. Reeser confronts her role with grace as a struggling paleontologist and mother. Her performance was extremely refreshing, largely because this role would usually be given to a male actor. If this is a statement against the unsettling amount of leading men over women in Hollywood culture, then message received and hats off! Both leads were phenomenal.

The team of VOB isn't concerned with adopting any tropes commonly used in cinema. They're creating their own rules, while respectfully staying within the general boundaries of coherent storytelling. In other words, I was constantly at the edge of my seat.

Filmmakers seldom take the risk of brewing a mixing pot of conflicting genres because of their fear of having the end product come out half-baked. Thankfully, this is not the case for the VOB team. They tackled an unconventional concept and presented it fearlessly to a body of modern audiences who are usually accustomed to watered down, fluffy content produced by large Hollywood studios. The film can be ruthless and unforgiving, and I love love love that. I was frankly unprepared to be whipping around in my seat, and as an avid film goer, I can't think of anything I'd want more from a film. It is one of the small handful of films that I reflect on as an experience rather than a viewing. The VOB team is successfully paving the way for incoming filmmakers who want to make something new and different.

Valley of Bones explores the dangers of running away from your problems, as well as a realization that sometimes the most valuable thing to uncover isn't what's buried among the bones, but rather, the importance of family. It is impeccably shot in the hauntingly beautiful Badlands, directed with tremendous care, and acted with a big, unflinching heart. It deserves everyone's eyes.

Really enjoyed this take on the western/noir/thriller genres. Particularly strong are the acting, music, cinematography, directing, and editing. Minor problems with pacing and dialogue can be overlooked in view of the entertaining story and strong characterizations. Congrats to this young team of filmmakers -- I hope to see more!