In the southwest in the late 1980s, a young female bodybuilder finds a new home in a small town. She comes across a young female employee at a gym whom she quickly connects with, but who turns out to be at odds with her family, a hive of degenerates. Their romance ends up being intertwined in a web of crime.
Kristen Stewart is quite good in this as the black sheep of the family and a determined rebel. Katy O'Brian turns out to be the unexpected life blood of this film. Her performance is so multidimensional that the film just wouldn't be as good without her. She conveys curiosity, fear, rage and ultimately ecstasy in the arms of her newfound muse. Her discovery of steroids adds a nice bonus, but it's possible this plot thread merely unleashed a fierce beast that was always there and never had a escape valve. Dave Franco is well-deployed in a brief but seething role as a scummy hooligan. Ed Harris is effectively cold-hearted as the local kingpin who seemingly owns everything in the town and has local law enforcement in his back pocket to cover up his dirty tracks.
Although profoundly gripping and impossible to tune out, this is definitely not for squeamish viewers. The violence here is quite ferocious. The tension is at times a turbo-charged level. It's been a while since a film filled me with some of that old school dread as it drew toward its climax. The soundtrack often lean on soothing New Wave beats, as if to provide some relief from the devilish storyline. At times disturbing, other times intensely atmospheric, this film offers an escape from mainstream fare. Through it all, the ending feels hard-earned and cathartic. Highly recommended to those like edgy filmmaking.
Kristen Stewart is quite good in this as the black sheep of the family and a determined rebel. Katy O'Brian turns out to be the unexpected life blood of this film. Her performance is so multidimensional that the film just wouldn't be as good without her. She conveys curiosity, fear, rage and ultimately ecstasy in the arms of her newfound muse. Her discovery of steroids adds a nice bonus, but it's possible this plot thread merely unleashed a fierce beast that was always there and never had a escape valve. Dave Franco is well-deployed in a brief but seething role as a scummy hooligan. Ed Harris is effectively cold-hearted as the local kingpin who seemingly owns everything in the town and has local law enforcement in his back pocket to cover up his dirty tracks.
Although profoundly gripping and impossible to tune out, this is definitely not for squeamish viewers. The violence here is quite ferocious. The tension is at times a turbo-charged level. It's been a while since a film filled me with some of that old school dread as it drew toward its climax. The soundtrack often lean on soothing New Wave beats, as if to provide some relief from the devilish storyline. At times disturbing, other times intensely atmospheric, this film offers an escape from mainstream fare. Through it all, the ending feels hard-earned and cathartic. Highly recommended to those like edgy filmmaking.