In rural Pennsylvania, Teddy (Fran Kranz) is beating up on his wife Molly (Jocelin Donahue) again. Her weak-kneed brother Gordon (Kenny Wormald) won't do much of anything. Gordon is browbeaten by their mother Angela (Joelle Carter) for his weakness. His work friend suggests hiring Howard (Chris Mulkey), a killer from Mississippi. As Gordon and Howard drive back to Pennsylvania, Howard's violence causes Gordon to reconsider.
There are two ways to consider these characters. They can be seen as complicated and deeply flawed humanity. They can also be seen as wrongly written and pathetically unredeemable. Molly's attachment to Teddy can be very disturbing but it's also not unreasonable. Plenty of abused women defend their abusers. Gordon's pathetic character can be very annoying. At the end of the movie, I wish that this was made by the Coen brothers. They would have injected some comedy and pathos which would make this tragedy somehow humorous and more compelling. I don't know much about this filmmaker. He doesn't have it.
There are two ways to consider these characters. They can be seen as complicated and deeply flawed humanity. They can also be seen as wrongly written and pathetically unredeemable. Molly's attachment to Teddy can be very disturbing but it's also not unreasonable. Plenty of abused women defend their abusers. Gordon's pathetic character can be very annoying. At the end of the movie, I wish that this was made by the Coen brothers. They would have injected some comedy and pathos which would make this tragedy somehow humorous and more compelling. I don't know much about this filmmaker. He doesn't have it.