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The acting of the leading actor Andrew Scott in this film is excellent. The pace is a bit slow and the story isn't mind-blowing but Andrew's effortless performance engages the audience and makes you want to root for him and see how things are going to pan out. My only complaint is that the ending is a little weak.

It is surprising to learn that this is a British made film. Made entirely with UK money, an English director and a couple of Irish actors in the two lead roles. Most impressive given that this passes pretty easily as an American product. It falls into a category of crime/thriller/mystery which there seems to be quite a few of, i.e. one set in a small town in the backwaters of the U.S. where an ordinary individual investigates or is hurled into a crime scenario. Many American independent films have been of this type in recent years and I guess this is one aspect which goes against Steel Country slightly, in that it is an overly familiar set-up. Nevertheless, it remains a good enough film with a very impressive central performance from Andrew Scott in the lead role of a bin man with an Asperger's type of condition, whose particular mind-set impels him to not accept a recent account of a young boy drowning. He suspects foul play and this leads him on a dangerous path with reveals dark secrets in the local town.

The film works more as a mystery than as a thriller; albeit, there are a couple of memorable scenes which fall under the latter bracket, including a surprising one near the finale. But mostly, this one focuses on an amateur sleuth seeking the truth and a town which seems reluctant to reveal all. Ultimately, this is a good, if relatively standard, bit of Americana (even if it is actually British!).

Admittedly it is slow but this 'Donnie' keeps you interested. He's handicapped mentally but smart,intuitive and a loving father. I found the story to be good and slowly opened up for the viewer.

I thought this was going to be a run of the mill thriller but it turned out to be quite engrossing all the way to the end mostly due to the superb acting ability of Andrew Scott who deserves an Oscar for his performance and this elevated the movie beyond your average pot boiler thriller aided and abetted by the performance from Bronagh Waugh.

For such a slow moving small movie it pulls a big punch and keeps the viewer interested and on the edge of the seat right to the rather surprising end and tackles a sadly very common and terrifying thought for any parent which gives the movie even more gravitas. Good camerawork and directing adds to the mix - If you are looking for an interesting mystery thriller that will not disappoint you cannot go far wrong with this one!

Obviously, the budget is an important thing to make a good movie, but, as we saw in this movie, it is not a crucial factor to make a good movie. We can see here a small budget movie, but, we can see also an overall good actor's performance, in fact, significant acting for the leading role Andrew Scott, a good direction, a good scenario, a meaningful story. And this is all that the good movie needs.

For a budget film thriller a was surprised how good this was written Andrew Scott played the lead role well just shows you don't need a big name actor too play the role it's a little slow to start off with but be patient by the end you will have enjoyed it...

While looking throughout the majority of the reviews, it's become very clear that the majority of the public knows nothing about Autism. The first sign was his need for the trash bin lid to be down and then his need to wear the same hat. His collection of pens and lining them up by color, his inability to read emotions on people, his need to recite all the President's names, etc. The way he crinkled the doctor's table paper because of the way "it feels and sounds" was also a very obvious hint. He even sort of mocks his own Autism disorder when he's talking to the mother of his daughter and "flaps" his hand in front of her face. Hand-flapping is a self-soothing that many on the spectrum do. People on the spectrum can have strong obsessions and the murder of this boy became exactly that. This is a soul who feels pushed out and lost in a world that doesn't understand him. He felt empathy or connection to a boy who truly looked at him in his garbage truck and would smile and wave every day at him. Most people don't look at or pay attention to garbage truck workers, so there's a similarity there as well.....the being unseen and the unheard in our society. He is full of love and determination and empathy. He is a troubled soul who lost his father and is taking care of his sick mother. He has spent years wandering through life feeling unloved and misunderstood and now he has something he can do that he is proud of. He's taking away something bad in this world when no one else would. This gives him purpose and redemption. This is a beautiful story. And, for anyone who immediately knew and understood that he was on the spectrum and included that in your reviews, thank you. The world won't ever understand Autism if they aren't awoken to it by others. I'm more disappointed that the director never let the word "Autism" be used in the movie.

A boy goes missing in a rural town and the case becomes an obsession for a man who believes there is more to the case than what it appears to be.

I'll give a few more details. Our main character comes off as a decent enough guy but he has some sort of mental disability. He lives with his mother but has a daughter that lives with her mother. While visiting his kid, he learns she is on social media and while scrolling through her news feed, he learns that the boy is missing. The man works in sanitation and knows the boy from his garbage pick-up route because the kid made it a point to always wave when he saw him. While it never really gave a good explanation as to why he was so interested in the case, he becomes obsessed and determined to figure out what happened to the kid.

The main character played his part well, easily drawing the viewer into his character's emotions. The majority of the movie is carried by this character so kudos to the actor for his performance. The atmosphere in this is gloomy and the settings felt appropriate.

While I felt it could've used some more detail here and there, I thought it was a "meh" flick. Not amazing and not awful. If you choose to sit down and watch it just be prepared for the slow burn.

The main actor plays the role of an autistic man who is fixated on making sure things are left as they should be, from something as simple as a dustbin lid being left open to a serious crime being left unsolved, that is not how things should be and he will have no peace of mind until things are put right even if putting things right is a matter of life or death. The main actor deserves an Oscar, his performance was amazing, the story is dark and tragic but overall it is a brilliant film, and I'm not easily pleased,

I found A Dark Place while looking to watch a short movie I had never heard of before. Its premise reeled me in; a dead child is found in a small town, and a loner with a hunch investigates. Andrew Scott plays Donny, a sanitation worker who lives with his mother and has a daughter with a woman who does not love him back. The film gives us clues that Donny likely has high functioning autism due to his need to organize things and his compulsory drive to get to the bottom of the child's death. We thus follow his path down avenues no one else would dare travel. I think of it like Taxi Driver set in rural Pennsylvania, but nowhere near as effective, as I felt myself questioning the intent and morality of Donny's actions more than I had liked. But since A Dark Place deals with very complicated topics such as the death of a child, mental health and personal privacy, perhaps that is the point. If you are intrigued by lesser-known films with challenging premises, A Dark Place is certainly an option. Andrew Scott is really good, too. The film is on his shoulders, and he stays the course. Lastly, if you want to see the influence classic films like Taxi Driver have over the film world, check this film out to see what you pick up on.

I'll give director Simon Fellows credit with his movie A Dark Place that at the very least, he was trying something different with the detective genre. Not too many PI films have a protagonist, who sits on the autism spectrum and drives rubbish trucks. But indeed this is what he presents us with in this movie about garbage man Donnie, who becomes obsessed with finding the reasons behind the disappearance of a young small town boy, who is later found apparently drowned in a creek.

Besides its unusual hero, A Dark Place is also notable for the fact that most of its main cast and chief production team are either British or Irish, bearing in mind the film is shot in Georgia This is not to suggest that the actors aren't convincing in their roles. The opposite is true, with lead Andrew Scott especially giving a stand - out performance as the obviously troubled Donnie. But those in the know, undoubtedly will question why there's not more of a genuine US element onscreen.

The problem with A Dark Place tends to lie with the script. We're never quite sure what causes Donnie to suddenly take issue with the case of the missing boy. Is it just an autistic compulsion or is there something else? The third act does suggest there may have been a childhood incident, that triggered his "investigation" without ever going into much detail. A myriad of characters try to dissuade Donnie from further inquiries, whilst simultaneously pointing him off in other directions. We are asked to accept some plainly quite ridiculous situations, the most obvious involving a midnight visit to the town cemetery complete with shovels and the melodramatic conclusion, where we suddenly find out, Donnie has a yen for archery.

On a personal level I found the most interesting character to be Donnie's female garbage truck off-sider, who's luckily around him to offer him back - up in a couple of early tight situations. But sadly she disappears for much of the film's second half. Donnie is not the most sociable of screen characters and we find ourselves drawn into wondering what the grounded and tough Donna, sees in the spaced out, wimpy Donnie. This is another question the script fails to fully answer.

The film dabbles with topical issues and themes, with TRUMP-PENCE picket signs visible in several front gardens of homes in a town which has clearly seen better days. But in trying to cover things that may be wrong with contemporary middle America, it spreads itself too thin. There's a better film in there somewhere, but a muddled and messy script.ends up confounding, rather than satisfying us.

Generally well made and kept you interested. I would recommend

I enjoyed the film. Easy watching, good story and personable characters. I'm not quite sure what reviewer Dlbott is talking about British film making ? There have been some great Asian films and European films killed by Hollywood. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo and The Eye as first thought examples.

Does it really matter where a film is made as long as it is enjoyable ?

British and proud !!

...but really pointless in the end. I did buy all the characters, even after seeing the wife from The Fall doing a good PA accent and wondering why she was in this, until I read about the film being an English production.

The movie keeps you watching, although there are too many "wait, what?" moments that only serve to advance the plot and are too ridiculous to be believable, and the ending is less than satisfactory, so while this is a very earnest effort, it's ultimately not worth the investment, as the actors really needed a better script.

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Andrew Scott acts as if he's an actor trying to act like he's not acting. His entire performance lacks depth and authenticity. He winds up being a distraction from what could have been a decent story.

This is a fantastic film held together in no small part by the fantastic performance by Andrew Scott. I can't understand how this can score less than 7 out of 10 unless all you're into is Marvel Comic CGI nonsense

Very slow moving, good acting, decent story. Even at 1 and a half hours it felt like an eternity... I'd go back in time and not watch it if I could.

Andrew Scott (whom I was not familiar with prior to this film) gives an Oscar worthy performance as a sanitation worker somewhere on the spectrum or possibly Borderline Personality Disorder. Despite character assertions that he "is not a smart man", we learn this is not true as he pieces together parts of a murder and the dark past that surrounds it. Despite his inner turmoil, he is able to hold down a steady job and engage in social interactions when needed or desired. He is a kind, gentle soul who struggles in caring for his elderly mother and believes there is hope in a relationship with a woman with whom a relationship never even existed. However, the brief union did result in a lovely daughter who shares his kindheartedness. Perhaps she is part of his drive to find the killer of another child (we know the child is dead from the trailers and the first few minutes of the film). This takes place in a small town in the rust belt and political commentary is made without words in the first few minutes of the film where we see closed-down buildings with old election signs, expressing the irony. Some may be turned off by this, but you do not need to be of a certain party to appreciate this intense, haunting thriller. Scott is magnetic and the other characters are all exceptionally interesting and well-acted. It is a very slow-burn that completely engulfed me. This movie is disturbing in subject, but not gory or violent.

Worthwhile dark mystery, set in a sad and grimy depressed Midwestern suburb, with an unlikely hero. Andrew Scott plays Donny, an impaired garbage man who is far more aware of the world than the people around him.