Because of the various strikes, the TV networks have had to find programming to fill slots with, so I have been watching "Yellowstone" to see what all the fuss was about. This movie reminds me of that series in a couple of ways. Though this movie is set in Missouri which is relatively flat, it does have beautiful scenery including farms, and is supposedly set on a ranch even though little of the work of running a ranch is shown. And the primary plot line is the coverup of an accidental killing. On the TV series, though, no one seems to feel guilty and what is covered up wasn't an accident. Here, the person who did the deed was just careless but now must carefully plan to cover it up, or else, yet he does feel guilty about it eventually. And his accomplice manages not to show regret, which makes him more like the TV series cast.
The movie tries to make it look like everything is normal while over time, details will eventually come out and decisions will have to be made. Only because the truth is hidden from others is there any sense that most of the people have morals. But even as people find out more, maybe the expected actions aren't what would be expected.
Two actors were familiar to me, but the first one I didn't recognize for a while, and the other I didn't recognize at all even though I had seen his name in the credits. Gerlad McRaney has played so many great characters over the years. Here, he is in poor health but determined to do as much as he can. He has to be vulnerable but you know it's hard for a proud, strong man to go through what he is experiencing. He pushes hard to do what he has to do.
The other actor I knew was basically doing what I know him best for. Ted Levine I know as a detective who can't seem to solve the murders without the brilliant Adrian Monk. Here, I didn't recognize him but he seemed competent as a sheriff who might have a murder case. But if he doesn't solve the crime, it's because others are doing a great job of covering it up. And maybe he does solve the crime. We're kind of left hanging at the end.
The other real standout actor would seem to be Alycia Debnam-Carey, the sister who starts out seeming to need mentoring from her older sister, but ends up being the strong one in the family and having to handle being in charge of everything, including her sick father. And she goes through a crisis later in the movie when she learns what she didn't know, but ends up leaving us wondering what is going on.
Brenton Thwaites is a steady force who eventually has to go through moral dilemmas. If he gives a good performance, it's just that he has to be the calming influence when he knows his life could fall apart at any time. He comes across as being like a more serious Topher Grace.
As his brother, Ben Robson shows more vulnerability has the more challenging job as a tough veteran but has to go through life wondering if the truth will come out.
I'm only guessing as to the identity of Ray's new girlfriend. Francesca Eastwood looks naughty but is actually quite polite and dignified.
Claire Holt is the sister who starts out seeming more mature, then turns reckless, then gets a little too playful in the scene where the big event happens.
A young child has a couple of good scenes. It's his mother who died.
There was good country music played at the Whisperin' Pig bar, and then loud music that didn't appeal to me. Music was used effectively in the movie, with some scenes making it obvious something bad was going to happen, or had happened.
Plenty of cleaning up had to be done to make this suitable for TV. A lot of words were missing and body parts or signs of violence or whatever made blurry. On the subject of editing for TV, the credits show four of the characters were played by different people when younger, but I don't recall seeing them.
It's not what I would choose to watch, but there's just enough to make it worthwhile.
