The Bastard Sons

I was quite lucky to see this film on the big screen at a local screening. I've always been a story-driven person, and I was pleasantly surprised to find myself completely immersed in the story of this film, from start to finish.

What makes this film so immersive and gripping in addition to its brilliant writing; it's in the amazing sound design and score, the direction which puts you in the middle of the action and emotions of each scene, and the talented cast who brought all of the characters to life. This film is sure to move and surprise even the most stoic of viewers.

I'm usually a very tough sell on movies of similar themes, but I can honestly say, I left the theater wanting more. I'm hoping for a sequel (or prequel) story, because the characters are so darn good, I can't help but want to know more of their stories. I highly and enthusiastically recommend this film!

There is no way the positive reviews are real! They were definitely either friends or paid for. This is easily one of the worst movies I have ever seen in my entire life. No dialogue, horrible acting, and most likely filmed on an iPhone. Nothing made sense from start to finish and the camera work literally made me dizzy. There was nothing original about this movie whatsoever. It's shocking to me that streaming services will even carry movies like this. This is a good example of a film that you have to thoroughly check out before renting. We as viewers cannot just go by a quick glance of the reviews next to the title. I never leave reviews for movies I watch, but I felt so incredibly ripped off that I felt I had to. Do not waste your time or money!

One of those "better than I expected, but not as good as I'd hoped" movies.

The story itself deserves some good will. The setup is good, the characters -- as written -- are an interesting bunch, and there are some "did not see that coming" moments.

Unfortunately, the characters -- as acted out on the screen -- are a mixed bag from barely passable through to mediocre and laughable as far as the acting goes. The acting here is about on a par with those small budget Omeleto shorts.

The directing is bland. The shoot outs and action scenes don't generate much excitement -- a fact underscored by some low budget special effects.

With better actors and some good directing, this could have been an interesting movie.

The positive reviews for this film reek of people who worked on the film or friends of the director. This movie is bad and not even funny bad, it is cringeworthy. You want to watch a bunch of middle aged men who aren't hard pretend to do the tough guy act? Watch this. The performances are poorly done and thus it comes off as cringe. There is one funny part of this movie and that is the shoot out scene where the acting is at its worst. Looks like they couldn't even get blanks for the movie as the muzzle flash is the horrible post production effects. You also have the actors pretending to shoot the weapons in overly exaggerated manners with horrible camera work. This is like a worse version of the middling movie Four Brothers and doesn't even touch Sopranos.

There has been a plethora of Gangster/Crime/Mobster films and tv shows released over the years. From Scorsese's classics to Pulp Fiction to The Sopranos. There's also an underbelly of garbage out there. Thankfully this film delivers the goods!

The Bastard Sons lives on it's own. It's unique. The characters are very real. It feels like I am watching everything unfold in real time. There are a few scenes in the second act that make your blood pressure rise and heart rate shoot up. It's that kind of ride.

And the ending...you won't see it coming.

Be sure to check it out if you are a fan of the genre.