Finestkind (2023) User Reviews

Watch it with the right mindset

[zack_gideon · 6/10 · 17 December 2023]

All these critics and people on here are bagging this film. I get it, you want action, twists, a plot that goes along quickly and more, more, more. Well don't watch this movie then. Simple really.

If you approach a film with the right mindset (like this one) and don't expect to be blown away you can actually enjoy its nuance, acting and glimpse into sea fishing. I enjoyed it for those reasons. It's definitely a meandering film with some scenes not driving anywhere - they're there instead to develop characters.

This film is a character family drama with a small crime element. It's mis marketed in my opinion. Just watch it causally and enjoy the acting. And for the bad scenes that don't really work, just appreciate it for what it is. Good acting. 6.4/10.

Better than reviews and metacritic say

[nqzsbgz · 7/10 · 16 December 2023]

This movie is a boyz movie. It's about brotherhood, friendship, role models. The first half of the movie is about the process of belonging. Any guy who ever wanted, craved, hoped to belong to a gang of guys-who they deem tougher, wiser, stronger-will identify. Don't wait for explosions, don't wait for cheap thrills. Enjoy the process. Get dirty with the fishermen. That's what the movie captures very well. The second half is about nerves. That's when it becomes a thriller in more known territory. It's not a bad thriller, and you actually care for all characters. There are good actors, excellent cinematography and camera work. I liked the movie. Reviews and critics aren't doing justice to it.

A slow burner for sure, but gradually becomes an incredible emotional ride

[attilalengyel-78684 · 7/10 · 17 December 2023]

This is a very good picture, one that has quickly become one of my favorite this year. It is not an action movie, far from it, and not a crime story either. It is all about human emotions, and how we deal with them. Don't make me wrong: it is quite slow in development (of the story), but grows and grows, and gradually grows on you. By the time it ends, you feel emotionally lifted. All the attributes of a good movie are there: the production value is first class, the acting is impeccable as so is the direction, with the editing and the score not far behind. If you liked 'Fathers and Daughters' (2015), this project is definitely for you.

More than decent

[ryanc-49973 · 7/10 · 18 December 2023]

This was a good movie. Fall River/New Bedford aren't the normal NE fishing towns. This flick dives in and shows us how people get sucked into "the suck" and love every moment of it. It was a good not particularly great movie. I would recommend it to anyone who doesn't take themselves too seriously. Jenna did a nice job of encapsulating the areas culture. She was a good choice for a fisherman's gal and daughter of a broken house.

All in all it's worth a watch and a 7 rating. I'd wait till it's on Netflix or Prime though. I think 5.8 which it is currently at is a bit too low. What do you think?

Pretty good film, IMO

[silverton-37959 · 7/10 · 24 December 2023]

The reviewers that downrated this film are entitled to their opinions, but so am I. My opinion is that this is a good story, and it was told without leaning on overstated action scenes and unbelievable violence. There were a few goofs here and there, but nothing that made me dislike the overall story or the screenplay itself.

This is a story of two brothers who were brought up apart from each other but who came back together because the younger brother wanted to see how his older brother managed a life that was a world away from the one that the younger one felt he was being led into by his father. Charley was the younger one, a half- brother to Tom, the older one. Tom was a fishing boat captain while Charley was headed to law school, following his father, a successful lawyer. Charley wanted to see what fishing boats were like, so he asked Tom to hire him as a deckhand.

Tom's boat sank on their first trip together, and Tom suspected that the owner of the fleet of boats that included the one Tom commanded had not kept the boat properly maintained. That led Tom to confront the owner, an arrogant young non-fisherman and the confrontation left Tom unemployed.

Tom's father, Ray ( played by Tommy Lee Jones) asked Tom to captain the "Finestkind", Ray's scallop dredger. Tom agreed, but disregarded Ray's order to fish according to Ray's plan, and took the boat into Canadian waters. The Canadian Coast Guard caught Tom in the act of poaching scallops in Canadian waters, which led to the boat and the catch being impounded. The catch was seized and the boat was held for a $100,000 fine that would have to be paid before the boat would be returned to Ray.

This leads to the real drama of the story. You'll want to watch what happens. The story shows how important family ties are. There is some violence, but it is by no means a violent crime drama. Maybe that is what makes some people dislike the film, but it was a pleasant change for me given the violent action films that are so prevalent today.

Enjoyable but preposterous film about love of the sea and love for sons

[dedawson-82561 · 7/10 · 28 December 2023]

Who would be so ridiculous as to commit a serious crime to pay a fine for a serious crime? Fishermen, it seems. The point here, though, is to show the romantic pull of a life of fishing and, perhaps more importantly, the inexhaustible love of a father for his son. Despite the critics, the dialogue and the acting was fine, especially by Clayne Crawford as the chief bad guy and Tommy Lee Jones as an old fisherman. It's got the Taylor Sheridan touch, too. Not a great film, but the scenes of the New Bedford harbor and the handling of a catch of scallops added to a story replete with plot holes and characters who should know better.

Better than most say

[rafaelreflux · 7/10 · 7 February 2024]

All the people literally hating on that movie for reasons that are so out of place, blow my mind. I read on review where the someone said that there is "bad acting". Oh boy, i simply dont know if we watched the same movie. The Veterans TLJ and Ben Foster deliver a stellar Performance which is very much believable and honest. But the other guys also give it their all, delivering a variety of emotions and had me liking and rooting for them more than I should have. The Movie is like many before me said, a slow burner, which for some people could be demotivating to watch. They could have cut some parts out which would have given the Movie the right pace where it was needed. But even though its very slow, the director managed to create intensity and suspense. I liked it. I would recommend it. Maybe not to everybody I know, but certainly to people that like the Portrayal of human emotion. Rating: 7.1.

Please...

[rjb-60155 · 2/10 · 31 December 2023]

Dear Hollywood, If you want to know how blue collar hardworking people act and talk, try doing some research and meeting some instead of guessing. You clearly have no clue. Pretty much sums up the film. A horrible story of what people "think" us poor working folk are like. Disgusting display of how Hollywood views society outside their bubble. There is no depth to these characters past stereotypical cliches. Most of people don't have rich parents that offer them options, like college, law school, and clerking, beyond this type of work. They do it because they have to, not to "find" themselves.

Some great actors and actresses, just a really bad script, disjointed story and unreal dialogue. The performers past work is why I gave more than one star. Most of these people are good, but in other things.

After the ship sank and they were joking and laughing while being rescued and then went straight to the bar to party, I knew the writers had no clue. Do the creators have any idea how bad it is for a captain and crew that lost their vessel? Let me just say they would not be joking and partying. Please...

Stellar performance by Tommy Lee Jones, but that is about the only real positive this movie has to offer

[imseeg · 6/10 · 16 December 2023]

Quite a slowburning, bleak and depressive story, that is certainly not suited for the casual viewer who might be (wrongfully) expecting some sort of fun action thriller, which it is definitely not and was never meant to be either...

The good: Tommy Lee Jones steals the show with his stellar performance as the father of a son (Ben Foster) in dire money troubles. But as magnificent the performance of mister Tommy Lee Jones may be, actor Ben Foster just didnt cut it in the dramatic scenes, in which he (and all the other actors for that matter) failed to deliver true drama.

True drama needs credible acting performances from ALL the actors concerned. Now we have only Tommy Lee Jones performance to deliver true drama, but his role (however important) was of a supporting nature, which makes us viewers have to deal with other leading actors who fail to impress.

Watchable.

[dweston-38669 · 16 December 2023]

This gritty thriller has a Dennis Lehane feel for the blue collar working classes on the North East Atlantic side of the US, in this case a group of fisherman tied up with a drug plot to get money.

It's a film of two halves and goes in a direction I didn't anticipate: at first I thought it a family disaster movie et al A Perfect Storm then goes into another territory of drug running.

It's all very watchable and the cast are well picked, they all look weatherbeaten and belong at sea.

The scripting is a little lazy: surely a small community would react to grizzled old Tommy Lee Jones shooting and killing three drug dealers in a donut store and report it to his ex wife and her new husband before their son shows up and if so surely they would mention it. It's HUGE news in a quiet fishing community!

And no mention of Jenna Ortegas beaten up face at the family dinner?

If I were the mother I would put two and two together... Also the father wanting in on the fishing business as a partner, seemed too neat and tidy at the end ;especially when he was so against it in the beginning and Charlie being so involved.

It's like two movies in one...

[willster-83146 · 4/10 · 16 December 2023]

So, I just watched Finestkind and oh boy, do I have thoughts. Ive never seen a movie try to do so much with so little that wasn't also a CG fest. There are potentially two good movies in here, but tye mashing up of the family melo drama and the crime hiest thriller comes off as comical, insincere, and muddled. I was following the making of this for some time since I heard Jenna Ortega and Tommy Lee Jones were attached, little that I know this was 25 years in the making, cost the film crew thousands in lost equipment and injuries, and had several names attached to it. I do like the cinematography, the Whale footage was nice, but like, this isnt a documentary, it was supposed to be an engaging film about what happnes in the in-between when were born and when we die. This was directed by the guy who wrote Man on Fire (Which probably explains why Jenna was attached) and directed Mystic River! This had all the makings of a hit... what happend!? Ugh. Ill still buy the DVD for my collection, but I'm not watching this again.

Ps. The romantic subplot in this would give a Disney princess whiplash with how fast it happened.

Ben Foster/Tommy Lee Jones? Where Do I Sign Up

[tdwillis-26273 · 8/10 · 21 December 2023]

They had me at Ben Foster and Tommy Lee Jones. I'd watch either of them act out a bread recipe over anything Hollywood has put out the last 20 years.

Anyone else who has lived long enough to understand that statement will probably like this movie. Others, not so much.

I read somewhere this was a made for TV movie. I couldn't tell. The quality was big screen worthy.

Also, real fishermen may or may not find fault with the technicalities. (I was in the medical profession and find medical inconsistencies on film yank me out of the required suspension of disbelief easily so I avoid those types of movies.)I enjoyed the glimpse into the fishing lifestyle.

It was a decently strong story, good acting,good cinematography, and decent directing. Not as strong as the movie "The Perfect Storm" but still a very worthy watch.

P. S. BTW, for people dissing on the accents.....Ben Foster is from Massachusetts.

I want to Fish

[nogodnomasters · 6/10 · 24 December 2023]

Tom (Ben Foster) fishes for a living out of Bedford, Massachusetts. Charlie (Toby Wallace) is his brother by another father. Charlie just completed college and has a promising opportunity to go to Boston Law School. He prefers to throw it all away to be a deckhand on his brother's scallop boat. They first day out on the "Harmony" and the boat sinks. They wind up going out On Tom's father's (Tommy Lee Jones) boat, the "Finestkind." They decide to illegally fish in Canadian waters. They get caught and lose the boat. They need $100,000 dollars to get the boat out of hock. Mabel (Jenna Ortega) a recent love interest of Charlie's has criminal connections. They turn to crime, but they are not good at it and get into more trouble.

The crime drama was all drama and not much of a thriller either. The film was well-acted, it was just as boring as watching people scallop fish.

Guide: F-word. Sex. No nudity.

Worestkind

[mybournemouth · 2/10 · 15 September 2023]

Unfortunately I was really disappointed that I left 15 mins before the ending which I never do,,,, not really sure what was wrong it wasn't gripping, the story line is so predictable. The main characters were superficial, there was no depth in personality at all, you really can't connect with any depth of any of the main characters,,,, except Lee Johns, it was such a disappointment for me, when I went it I didn't expect that esp with the "awesome" prior reviews.

Initial scenes esp lacks depth, conversations were shallow and lack originality,,, I had to force myself to stay expecting better esp reading from prion reviews but I have up even just 15 mins before the ending.

[5.9] Hard corrosive life laced with bad decisions

[cjonesas · 6/10 · 1 February 2024]

Nothing special to count and tell, besides salty breeze part-biography of a family, half-brothers and other fishermen friends and foes. It is just filmed in the sun and under the moonlight, by the ocean with lots of shells, shellfish and ice while some viewers including myself semi-uninterestingly follow their "journey" day by day and night by night.

Just the locations at sea, how long they were on the boat, their unrealistic semi-expensive new cars and trucks and the acting of Tommy Lee Jones as a father were interesting, and I also got to see Jenna Ortega talk and smile more than she did in half a dozen movies.

• Screenplay/storyline/plots: 5.5
• Development: 7.5
• Realism: 6.5
• Entertainment: 4.5
• Acting: 7
• Filming/photography/cinematography: 7
• VFX: 7
• Music/score/sound: 6.5
• Depth: 6
• Logic: 4.5
• Flow: 4.5
• Crime/drama/thriller: 5.5
• Ending: 4.5.

Kind of missed opportunity

[Masked_Jackal · 6/10 · 20 December 2023]

I have been waiting for this movie for over a year. It was stuck in post-production for some time and was finally released a few days ago.

The truth is, I had high expectations for the story, especially from a writer/director of Helgeland's level.

I don't know what he originally had in mind, but he has put two films in one here. On the one hand, it's a family drama; on the other, it's a drug deal gone wrong that doesn't make a good transition and, on top of that, an almost unnecessary love story.

It has a somewhat OK third act, which has enough tension but raises many questions.

On the good side now. The cinematography is excellent, and the transitions between city and sea scenes work nicely. The cast is well chosen, and for the most part, the actors know where they need to be. And, of course, the two strongest cards of the film are Tommy Lee Jones and Ben Foster in the role of father and son.

Although it's a nearly three-decade-old project, it could have been executed way better, especially when the person working on it has such an impressive track record under his belt.

I give it a 6/10, mainly due to acting.

A Good Movie with a Thin Plot

[mittal-pranjal · 6/10 · 14 September 2023]

The film fell short of delivering the suspense and thrills I had anticipated from a crime/thriller genre. The first half, centered around fishing boat expeditions, impressed with its visuals and sound design, yet it left me craving a deeper narrative. The second half veered into familiar drug and crime territory, lacking a substantial storyline. However, the movie managed to wrap up on a somewhat positive note, leaving me with a feel-good sentiment despite its shortcomings.

It's worth noting that I had the privilege of viewing this film at TIFF, where ticket prices were notably higher than usual. TIFF premium screenings typically include appearances by the cast, and my wife had eagerly anticipated seeing more members of the cast e.g. Jenna Ortega live. Unfortunately, her absence was a disappointment to her. Additionally, prior to the screening, Google erroneously listed Jake Gyllenhaal and Zendaya in the cast, further elevating my expectations. While these factors may not directly impact my rating (which I tried to base primarily on my watching experience), they undoubtedly contributed to my elevated hopes, particularly given Gyllenhaal's impressive track record in exceptional crime/thriller films like "Nightcrawler."

Is this a joke?

[rdhoran · 1/10 · 16 December 2023]

1) When the boat explodes, the captain's Mayday reports his position as 69 degrees west. When the coast guard helicopter locates the life raft, USCG report its location as 42 degrees east, 65 degrees west. Are you kidding me? They give two incorrect longitudinal positions and no latitude? Longitude at 40 miles SE of New Bedford is about 70 degrees west. The life raft would've had to drift about 300 miles, almost an impossibility, to reach 65 degrees.

2) While being rescued, they act like drunks at a frat party.

3) Once aboard the helicopter, they continue laughing hysterically for no reason.

4) After losing their boat and nearly their lives, the brothers seem unconcerned about the boat and the huge financial difficulties that await them. Instead, they head directly to a bar for drinks the same morning as the rescue. Never mind that their mother might be worried. One brother finally calls the mother after he is served a boilermaker.

This all occurs in the first nine minutes of the film. Tommy Lee's character hadn't even been introduced yet. I couldn't watch another moment of this trash.

Nobody asked for this

[backseatcritic88 · 20 December 2023]

This was not an enjoyable watch by any stretch of the imagination. The whole time I was just wondering where this thing was going. It almost felt like watching a pilot episode of a TV show where all the foundations of the various subplots to unfold later on are first getting built out. I think the film just needed to do more to really engage me. The only scene of the movie that had me watching was the scene where the lady was giving birth while the drug dealers were intruding. But that's a cheap, Chicago Fire-esque method of demanding attention that I really don't care for. The lady giving birth while the scene was going down added absolutely nothing to the story.

The great cast is what initially got me to watch this in the first place. Tommy Lee Jones and Jenna Ortega? How does that not sound appealing? Despite that though, I found pretty much all the characters generally unlikable and the acting to be questionable. And I really didn't feel like Ortega was a good fit for the tough, drug dealing girlfriend-role. I just can't take her seriously in a role like that.

So really I fail to find the point as to why this movie was made. It has mediocre acting and a plot that jumps all over the place with not much cohesion.

Not bad, not great.

[AfricanBro · 6/10 · 30 December 2023]

My only big complaint is the movie takes a sudden turn in tone about half an hour in. Like Mabel's outlash didn't completely make sense or felt out of the blue. We'd only spent like a minute with her, maybe we should have gotten to know her a little bit more. But other than that I don't think the movie was too bad, but it's not anything remarkable either. I just wasn't as bored as other people seem to have been.

It's an okay watch, had a solid story. Maybe the father-son and step-brother relations could've been explored deeper, it felt like the movie was just telling a story which was somewhat interesting, but didn't hit the emotional chords for me.

There's a little decent love story going on and personally I'm a sucker for those so I'm a little more upset than warranted about this next bit. It's just upsetting that almost ever time Mabel popped it, it always felt like the writers thought we already know all about her, more than we actually do, we barely spent anytime with her but when she's on screen she's like the focus of the movie, her issues. Jenna Ortega was much better than Mabel, she should've been written way better. But in general, I could say that about all the actors, it felt like they thought they were in a much better movie.

But the movies okay. It's sort of feels like two movies in one. Maybe more. From all the subplots, you could probably make two or three movies out of it that were more insightful and took a deeper dive into the characters, their lives, their relationships and dilemmas. Instead it's all neatly parked into one forgettable one. I think it should've picked one genre and maybe leaned into it more, making it a crime thriller, romance or family drama, just to give the movie more character. The movie just felt like it's made up of sub plots. I didn't hate it, I wasn't bored, and I've seen much worse. Felt indifferent to it.

Terribly weak movie. Jenny Ortega role is very short and is reduced to serving as an ornament.

[swmariusz · 1/10 · 17 December 2023]

This is a terribly weak movie. Jenna Ortega plays the role of an ornament in this film. Her role in this film is completely nonsensical. She is sexualized and objectified. Jenna Ortega is like a Christmas tree in this film, she just looks nice and nothing more. The script is chaotic and just stupid, neither Jenna Ortega nor Tomy Lee Jones help this film. I haven't seen something so weak in a long time. B-class cinema is sometimes better.

This film is a mishmash of nonsensical threads. There are no nice shots, good music, or a sensible script here. Two hours of complete boredom. I struggled to get to the end of this thing without fast-forwarding.

Predictable but Done Better

[wishbinvisible · 8/10 · 30 December 2023]

This starts out as others have said, a little slow. Some viewers may feel they can predict the plot line and some viewers will be right. But being from Maine and having known fisherman, the new Bedford filming location is perfect and the choice of actors was well done. Having two of the leads coming from the Boston area helped the other actors lend authenticity to their characters. Their performances were very strong. They portray the toughness of those in the fishing community very well. Adding Tommy Lee Jones to the cast was a good addition. I would have given this a 7.5 but I don't know how. Watch it. You'll be glad you did.

Twisted take on NE fishermen

[idonotexist · 7/10 · 29 December 2023]

This was enjoyable movie. Yes a lot takes place but it all has its conclusion and closure. The open plots that actually lead somewhere and are closed. For all it does, the movie does not leave loose ends and i applaud it for it.

The cast does good enough and characters are well written. You get a good idea about each pretty fast and they remain consistent throughout.

This is part drama, part adventure, part crime, part love story, part fishing documentary. It has it all and it really works at the end, surprisingly enough. Perhaps one of the big aspects is that it is a feel good movie ultimately and leaves you content at the end.

I understand if you compare it to THE PERFECT STORM expecting hardcore fishing life simulator you will be disappointed. This is not it. This is a movie about a fishing boat crew that get in a spiral of trouble and dig out of it through various ways. The journey to that redemption is the road of self discovery some of the characters take.

7/10 will pose for the canadian coast guard daily.

Like watching a Sam Adams commercial

[artqueenspalette · 1/10 · 30 December 2023]

I'm from New Bedford. The accents were horrendous. We don't sound like that. It was like listening to SNL skit with Fallon and Dratch. No mention of Portuguese community (almost EVERYONE is Portuguese here), other than a cookout with linguica. No real storyline. Waste of Tim Daly's talent. Scenery was beautiful. I recognized every shot! Editing, acting, writing all bad, including TLJ. Painfully long. Insulting to the actual residents of the New Bedford area. Ortega was driving on the bike trail....yeah that's realistic. They had the potential to be amazing, and blew it. Fishing is indeed dangerous. The scenes at sea looked completely CGI. Skip this and watch reruns of Cheers and Wings if you want to see Massachusetts.

Lucky Find

[martyfoxzorro · 7/10 · 17 December 2023]

Always looking for a good Sunday movie. Found this on a Saturday, grandkid day, so the house is hectic and movies are hard to watch. So, we tried again on Sunday. Movie was pretty good. Being a huge Ben Foster and Tommy Lee Jones fan didn't hurt. There were a few sub-plots about brothers, love, fisherman, drug dealing, death, life, father-son, brother-brother, and evil Canada, but the movie still managed to be entertaining. Probably would have been better as a mini-series with so much going on, since sone things just seemed to "happen" and weren't well explained. All said I'd still recommend it.