Hellion

I was lucky enough to see this movie at Sundance 2014. Let's start at the beginning with the first notes of the metal soundtrack writer and director Kat Candler has chosen to infuse this movie with a unique, dark but powerful energy. The music sets the tone perfectly for the roiling anger and frustration the characters wrestle with in this film.

I won't go too much into the plot because part of what is beautiful about this movie is how the story unfolds and watching the characters ride the roller coaster of loss, hope, joy, love, fear, pride - all of it. It's amazing that in such a short amount of time, Candler can find all those moments, no matter how fleeting. Much of that comes from the script, but it wouldn't be so successfully conveyed without the strength of her performers.

I have not watched Breaking Bad so I came into this with no preconceived ideas of Aaron Paul as an actor. He is fantastic in this movie. As a father who has lost his anchor with the death of his wife, you can see him struggling with his own demons as he also knows he has to do right by his sons. Newcomer Josh Wiggins has a face that shows everything, every wince of hurt and disappointment and every twinkle of mischief. The supporting cast is also phenomenal. The kids are all actors who are new to film and yet they are completely natural and you will feel deeply for each of them. Juliette Lewis, an actress I have never seen act beyond her quirkiness, gives the most grounded, authentic performance I have ever seen from her.

This movie is being released nationally this summer in theaters and on VOD. Don't miss it.

Greetings again from the darkness. This is the perfect Film Festival movie: low budget, recognizable star trying something new, up and coming director, and potential star in the making newcomer. While it has an air of familiarity, there was enough here to make it one of my favorites from the 2014 Dallas International Film Festival.

Writer/director Kat Candler has a definite feel for creating real moments for characters, as she expands her 2012 short to feature length. She was also wise enough to nab cinematographer Brett Pawlak, who did such a great job with Short Term 12 (one of my top six films of 2013). The blue collar life gets a twist here as Aaron Paul (on top of the world after "Breaking Bad") plays an alcoholic, emotionally-distant, grieving widower having to deal with his two sons when he can barely make it through a day. This is certainly a different kind of role for Mr. Paul, and he shows real depth with minimal dialogue.

As impressive as Paul is, the real find here is young Josh Wiggins as Jacob. It's his first screen role and he absolutely owns the role of the big brother lashing out at his dad, corrupting his little brother (due to jealousy) and dealing with things that kids his age shouldn't have to. Not to give away much, but one too many incidents leads to a visit from Child Protective Services, and just like that ... the family is torn apart again.

The real guts of the story is the parallel paths of father and son as they react to the displacement of little Wes (Deke Garner). Neither seems to fully accept the role they played in this mess, but both carry sorrow and anger the way males often do. Both pursue their own idea of proving something to Wes and to themselves - in very different ways. Juliette Lewis seems a bit out of place as Paul's sister, and is the only minor misstep in the script. We needed either more on her, or less.

Rural Texas and the challenges of youth are captured through so many details, and the realistic feel of dialogue and setting certainly stands out here ... as does the spot on camera work. This is one of the little movies I am really rooting for, because if it gets a chance, many will share my appreciation.

Hellion also known as Retribution is a slight tale from writer and director Kat Candler which has slow, unrushed placing.

The film chronicles a family on the edge of destruction in rural Southeast Texas. Jacob Wilson (Josh Wiggins) likes heavy metal and loves motocross biking. He and his mates also get into vandalism and arson. Unfortunately for them, for every wrong move they make the police are immediately on to them.

His father Hollis (Aaron Paul) is also broken. He his grieving over the loss of his wife, drinks too much and not spending enough time to look after his two children, their house is squalid. Hollis was a one time local baseball star. His actions also brings him to the attention of the police. The behaviour of both puts the younger son Wes at risk and into the hands of the child protection services who have him fostered out to his aunt Pam (Juliette Lewis.)

Things take a turn for the worse when Jacob and his gang go to the aunt's house to visit Wes.

The film has naturalistic performances from the child actors which is the big plus for the film. Everything is low key, fatalistic even. The only thing sunny here is the weather. The pacing is uneven as the film is a slow burner. There is too much contrivances, the police seem to be always there when there is trouble which is hard to swallow.

There is irony to see Lewis being terrorised at the end of the movie from a gang of kids, after all she did her share of terrorising twenty years ago in films like Natural Born Killers.

My review title is basically what it comes down to. The film is fine, not really original, not that great, but well-done enough. The script has clichés but that doesn't mean it's not effective, and the direction well-observed. Really, the cinematography is exquisite, although not necessarily surprising. It has that certain sort of glare that so many indies these days have, and in ways it helps it aesthetically, even if at times it does seem a bit too overly self-conscious. It's fine though, it's not a huge deal and it mostly works well enough. Aaron Paul is good, he's great at this kind of misery stuff, but Josh Wiggins is a star in the making, similar to Tye Sheridan in his naturalism.

The loss of a loved one is a devastating occurrence that's never easy to cope with. Some families can handle it with strength and composure. Some are less successful and fall apart. Kat Candler's Hellion, an expansion of her 2012 short of the same name, is a searing portrayal of the latter. We meet this family in a state of total disarray and follow them as they struggle to reconnect their tattered bonds, with near-disastrous results. It's not an easy film to watch, but because Candler portrays this journey in such an earnest and compelling fashion, and because she has great help from a wonderful cast of both experienced actors and up-and-comers, you can't take your eyes off of the screen.

When we meet Hollis (Aaron Paul) and his two sons, Jacob (Josh Wiggins) and his younger brother, Wes (Deke Garner), they have already lost their wife/mother. Hollis has basically abandoned his children, spending his days renovating a hurricane-ravaged beach house where they were all planning to move to before the tragedy. Jacob has become a troublemaker, doing everything from trespassing to property destruction. Within the film's opening minutes, we witness him and his buddies smashing up and setting fire to a truck. What's worse is that Jacob involves Wes in his law-breaking excursions. When they see the conditions in which he is living, Child Protective Services decides to place Wes in the custody of his Aunt Pam (Juliette Lewis). This serves as a wake-up call to both Jacob and Hollis, who decide to get their acts together and create a more suitable environment for the youngster. Jacob sets his sights on competitive motocross racing, while Hollis aims to finish up the beach house.

Candler, a native Texan, and cinematographer Brett Pawlak (doing stunning work) really capture the natural feel of her southern setting. The on-location shooting gives the film an authentic feel, as well as serves as a sort of love letter to her home state. You can sense how passionate Candler is about Texas through the ways in which it is lensed. This is not Hollywood fakery. The authentic feel of the locations helps to build upon the authentic feel of the story. Its impact is much more powerful because of this. Also notable is the use of heavy metal music, something not usually present in this type of story. It serves as a way of conveying the anger the boys are feeling in their current situation. It's an extra touch that works perfectly and makes this stand out from similar films.

The two big name actors in this film, Aaron Paul and Juliette Lewis, are both fantastic. Paul makes Hollis, an absent father, into a more sympathetic figure than he could've been. Although we don't always agree with what Hollis does, we feel the pain that he does, and so we understand where he's coming from. This is a wonderful addition to his post-Breaking Bad career. Lewis, given a chance to play a more grounded character than the wackier roles she's known for, does an equally great job. Though not his mother, it's clear that Pam loves Wes and wants what's best for him.

However, as good as Paul and Lewis are, the real stars of this film are the newcomers. Josh Wiggins, a star in the making, perfectly captures all of the emotions needed to portray the troubled Jacob, from love and happiness to anger and desperation. He is game for whatever is needed of him, which is great considering he has to go to some dark places. Equally solid is Deke Garner as the younger brother caught up in circumstances he doesn't fully understand. He serves as the heart of the film, motivating the actions of Jacob, Hollis, and Pam. Providing able support are the kids playing Jacob's cronies. Candler has selected an incredibly talented young whom we will hopefully see up on screen more frequently.

Between the acting, the direction, the cinematography, and the themes of loss and responsibility, Hellion is one of the best and most powerful films released thus far in 2014. Though it may not break new ground in terms of its story, Candler brings a unique-enough feel to it to make it stand out. Apparently she is currently working on a feature expansion of another great short of hers, Black Metal. Based on the level of quality present in this, that can't come out soon enough!