Reckoning

I saw the film at the Atlanta film festival and I was blown away. Right off the bat. the cinematography was drew me in, with a generous sampling of panoramic views of the north Georgia mountains scattered throughout the movie. But what really made the movie memorable was the acting and the story. Danielle Deadwyler gives a brilliant performance as a woman struggling to survive and to protect her young son from untrustworthy neighbors in their isolated Appalachian village. The pacing of the film is excellent, allowing the tension to build until the story reaches an unexpected climax.

The filmmakers should be proud. They've crafted a gem.

I watched the mini trailer for this on Netflix and it intrigued me enough to want to watch it straight away. The intense scene between Danielle Deadwyler and Catherine Dyer in the kitchen was nerve racking. Both fantastic actresses within their own right, you could have cut the air with a knife, the intensity was electrifying.

I was completely drawn in by Lemon (Deadwyler) my heart ached for her and her son, every step of the way and I wanted things to work out for them both.

I don't want to go too much into the plot.

Yes it is a slow burning film, but I was never bored once whilst watching it. It really is so mesmerizing and all the acting is good and the scenery is breath taking.

I would highly recommend this film to anyone.

The Creed is the law of the mountain. Plot twists that smack you in the face. Totally fictitious unbelievable plot that binds you start to finish.

But you must pay attention to details to follow the story.

Highly recommended.

The story unfolds well, keeping you interested all the way through.

The main character, Lemon, is perfect; a seemingly vulnerable woman at the start turning into a strong lioness protecting her cub.

There is not a lot of dialogue, but you understand exactly the history and context that has brought Lemon into her current perilous situation as well as how it all plays out.

The backwoods people and their ancient ways brings the latent horror and violence that exists in films such as Deliverance. The ex-city dwellers frankly weird cult, brings a different type of horror shown best in films such as The Wicker Man.

Sounds odd, but it all ties in very well, making this a very compelling story.

This film starts off as a slow burn but gets intense and dramatic when you stick with it. The acting and cinematography in this film is decent. The first time I was introduced to Danielle Deadwyler was in The Harder They Fall so when I saw her name in this film I knew I had to watch. This film is quiet disturbing in some scenes, very character driven, you can't help but root for Lemon and her son all through the way and hope she gets her revenge.

I enjoyed the pacing and glad this film got to showcase the leading talent Danielle has. If you don't mind the slow burn with violence and grim then this film is for you.