Fear the Viper

Not any good? The acting aint bad. The story aint particularly bad either, although it is all over the place, with too many characters and too many storylines to become a focussed drama.

The bad: it is simply a bit of a tedious watch. Nothing worse than getting bored...

I thought this was a great movie .... Dark and atmospheric. Josh Hartnett is very good in the first thing I've seen him in for sometime.

Josie... promise me something. Protecting this family comes first. When it's time to quit, we quit. No questions asked.

Everyone knows the principle of the "American Dream". The ideal image of a hard-working American who, regardless of his origin, can reach the top through hard work and commitment. "Inherit the Viper" shows the other side of the coin. A film about American citizens who experience the "American Nightmare". They are part of agglomerations located in remote areas where poverty prevails and survival instinct is a necessity. An additional problem in recent years in the U.S. is the opioid crisis that causes an unprecedented number of victims. This widespread addiction is the Conley family's important source of income. Apparently they inherited the business from their deceased father. Although, the storyline about what happened to him wasn't really clear to me.

"Inherit the Viper" is primarily a crime thriller in which the Conley family, consisting of sister Josie (Margarita Levieva) and her two brothers Kip (Josh "Pearl Harbor" Hartnett) and Boots (Owen "IT" Teague), try to make ends meet by running a thriving drug-dealing business somewhere in Appalachia (especially the opioid pills OxyContin) and to sell pills to the locals massively. Even though the subject lends itself to the elaboration of a solid crime story, this film is rather a family drama in which the dynamic between the different family members is central. A family triangle with opposite character traits.

Josie is the tough little cookie from the family whose numbness has reached shocking proportions. Without hesitation, she puts a freshly sold pill back in her pocket that she finds next to the body of an addicted old woman who just died. Self-interest has more priority to her than compassion for a fellow person. Hence the explanation for a later initiative she takes and which shows how numb she is. Kip is an ex-soldier. A hardened and fearless gut-eater who knows the tricks of the trade. Yet he's the one who would prefer to stop with the family business in order to build a safer future with his heavily pregnant girlfriend. And finally, you have Boots, the benjamin of the family. This impetuous teenager wants nothing more than to get into the family business as quickly as possible. Because this is still being put on hold by brother and especially his sister, it's Boots who takes an initiative. Unfortunately, things are not going the way he'd hoped.

"Inherit the Viper" isn't a masterpiece, but still it fascinates. It's a gray, dark (literally and figuratively) portrait about despair and how to survive in a run-down and soulless corner in American society. A life without a future that requires the protagonists to make unworthy decisions. No shred of compassion is shown. It's all about supporting the family. Although you feel the tension constantly and the Conley family is slowly but surely confronted with threatening situations (a police investigation is in progress resulting in an accusing finger pointing at them and revenge-seeking city dwellers who have lost someone thanks to the Conley's threaten them) there are very few action-rich or criminal scenes. This is largely compensated by the interesting interactions and the realistic appearance of the film. The most colorful role is that of Bruce Dern as the obscure, critically ill bar owner where Josie deals pills. A local character who isn't amused with the fact that corpses are piling up in his bar and whose metaphorical story actually uncovers the essence of what this film is about. And also it's an explanation of the film title. Although I am not 100% sure about that either.

The denouement managed to surprise me in a certain way. And I was also pleased to see that Josh Hartnett hasn't slipped off the grid. If you come across "Inherit the Viper" on a VOD service, I recommend to give it a chance. This dark film is worth a watch.

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Answer: He Inherit (ed) the Viper.

Around 15+ years ago, he was being touted about as being one of those Next Big Hollywood Things. But he seemed to keep choosing the wrong "star vehicles" (E. G. Hollywood Homicide), whilst truth be told, arguably lacking a bit in the charisma department and then appeared to depart mainstream cinema.

To my surprise he bobs up in this independent production and in my opinion is one of the best reasons to see it. Based on his work in Inherit the Viper, his future lies best, in seeking out more character - based roles, rather than star turns as a leading man.

Inherit the Viper is by no means a great film. It's a slow - burning rural noir piece, that doesn't particularly feature any really pleasant characters. Hartnett, playing Kip, the oldest of a trio of siblings with a family history of trafficking in prescription drugs, plays (arguably again), the nicest of a bad bunch. He'd really like to escape the drug trade, but family pressures, combined with a lack of employment opportunities, keep conspiring against him.

At 85 minutes running time, Inherit the Viper is by no means a lengthy film, but here's the thing; it feels longer. The pace is somewhat languid. The script, whilst lacking a certain amount of exposition in some areas, (Was it ever really made clear, what Bruce Dern's character had to do with the Conley family?) does set up an acceptably realistic twist in the denouement, that I have to admit, I didn't see coming and therefore enjoyed it, that much more. The acting is more than acceptable, with Hartnett, as mentioned, the stand - out.

Kudos to Anthony Jerjen, in his feature directorial debut, for trying something a little different. Inherit the Viper is not going to blow your socks off, and don't expect any action set pieces. But for those prepared to hang around, there is an interesting conclusion and a fine, understated performance from Hartnett, which kind of holds everything else together.

The story doesn't develop the background of the three siblings much, so I don't really feel for them at all. The story isn't so engaging either. I felt rather bored by it.