The Quarry

Shea Whigham and Michael Shannon are at their world class best. In particular Whigham playing the conflicted criminal who assumes the identity of the cleric he murders. The story itself is a slow burner with some holes but the performance of the leads are captivating.

'The Quarry' is a prime example of style over substance. This is actually a beautifully shot and wonderfully acted film. Where it lets itself down is the story. The plot is so lacking in depth and creativity that it makes for an extremely long and dull 100 minute runtime. I kept hoping for some kind of twist or unexpected turn in the story that would add some life to the proceedings. Sadly, it never came.

The one thing that keeps the film watchable is the acting, and in particular Michael Shannon. The film gets off to a very slow and understated start and to be honest I wasn't sure if I was going to able to stay awake for the entire movie. Then Shannon was introduced to the film and suddenly things picked up a lot and became a lot more watchable. Part of the reason is that his character is the only one in the film that actually has any character, but the other part is just down to some very fine acting on Shannon's part.

The big problem with 'The Quarry' is that everything is on the surface, everything is known to the audience. There is no mystery or intrigue. The only thing we can wonder about is how the film will conclude, but the story isn't really interesting enough for us to care much about that either. One compliment I can give the film is that is doesn't outstay its welcome. I've seen films similar to this that like to push the two hour boundary and they become unbearable. Still though, I'm sorry to say 'The Quarry' was a pretty forgettable experience.

A while ago I was real happy to find out that She Whigham will have a leading role, something he truly deserves and rarely gets, and this time in a small town crime neo-noir, no less. And Michael Shannon co-leading? Now that's a recipe I could get excited for. I'm happy to report that the performances are the absolute standout factor of "The Quarry". The rest? Certainly effortful, genre-fitting and ambitious, but ultimately confused.

"The Quarry" is a an existentialist tale of guilt, wrapped up in all the known elements of a neo-noir, begging to be a Coen Brothers movie, but lighting a fuse too long for it only fizzle out at the end. However, it goes great before it gets worse. In the first half we meet Shea Whigham's drifter with heavy emotional burden on his shoulders who assumes the identity of a travelling preacher and takes his place at a small town's church. The character is in search of hope while being caught in continuous conflict with himself, full of heartbreak, and is one of the consistently effective elements of "The Quarry", showcasing a tremendous, authentic and felt-through performance by Shea Whigham. Michael Shannon plays the town's Chief, suspecting a foul play in the mystery of the town's new reverend, and is also the other most stable foundation of "The Quarry". The rest of the cast plays along equally well, in togetherness creating a decent portrait of a small town community. Problem is, the slow-burning story that's seemingly building up an exciting showdown, starts getting more and more tiring around the middle of it & in the end we get led to a much expected albeit decent conclusion, clothed up in all that's underwhelming. In other words, the filmmaker's intentions are not quite clear, and the movie, as elegant as it is, ends up being a pale imitation of many better movies. A commendable aspect of "The Quarry" is its design - it's photographed quite beautifully and is never really boring visually, while also being accompanied by Heather McIntosh's subtly and silently threatening original score.

"The Quarry" has such terrific performances and good aesthetical design that it's actually such a shame that story wound up as confused and unpolished as it did. I liked it, but it could've been so much better. Unrelated to my complaints, but it's funny how they sell it on the poster - "From a write of Narcos: Mexico". Well, he wrote a single episode. Despite all, the summary of this neo-noir, in my opinion, lands a mark above average, and might just contain of the best acting performances of Shea Whigham's career. My rating: 6/10.

No idea why this film has got so many bad reviews! Thoroughly enjoyed this film from beginning to end. As a fan of Michael Shannon I was not disappointed, and Shea Whigham was just as good as co-lead. Nicely shot, well acted film. It is slow paced , but that doesn't mean that there wasn't anything happening. It was a nice slice of life kind of film. Totally baffled at the negative remarks!

I haven't read the other reviews. I guess they're not great. But there's a lot going on in this movie that's probably lost on most.

I found it to be a powerful character study where each actor faces a moral dilemma. It moves along the line slowly, thoughtfully, deliberately.

The notions of ontology, of faith, of redemption, and of truth are just a few of the concepts pulled into the story.

I get it's not for everyone, but there's a lot to find if you look for it.