Son of a Gun

MOVIE #1,931 • SCORE 6/10 • 09.02.24
SERIES: TRUE RANDOM (Vol. LXX)

Welcome to September as we enter the best time of the year (autumn). My batteries are fully recharged and I have close to 70 movie reviews on tap for the month before heading into my most ambitious undertaking yet: a 31-day, 100-horror flick journey that will commence in October and begin with my 2,000 movie critique overall. It’s almost like I planned it this way!

But for now, after a brief late summer pause, it’s time to revisit the on-going serials (before pausing again for Spooky Month ‘24). We begin with the 70th chapter in my TRUE RANDOM saga which now has a brand new landing page where you can peruse all the titles plucked from the ether that I’ve reviewed.

Son of a Gun is a watchable enough film. My main complaint is that they don't give us nearly enough about the young lead. He's too much of a blank slate / babe in the woods and the movie would have benefitted from more complexity. Sure, getting raped in prison sucks but that’s is a huge fucking favor (pulling off the most insane jailbreak ever + immediately entering a life of high-stakes violent crime) Ewan McGregor has asked of him in return for his butthole’s sanctity. In the end, I was glad this wasn't a prison movie but it quickly turns into a stock crime thriller with an obligatory romance (Alicia Vikander plays the babe). I can’t stand metaphorical dialogue like this…


I previously reviewed writer-director Julius Avery’s 2018 Nazi horror flick, Overlord. He also helmed the recent Russell Crowe movie, The Pope’s Exorcist, which weirdly intrigues me, so a Director Focus Fill-In series is definitely in order soon. Fun fact: this was the 17th film distributed by A24 (which is funny because as they hadn't found their wheelhouse yet, this feels nothing like an A24 movie).

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CHRONOLOGICALLY
⫷ MOVIE #1,930 - (YOU ARE HERE) - MOVIE #1,932 ⫸

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Son of a Gun is a 2014 crime thriller film written and directed by Julius Avery. It stars Ewan McGregor, Brenton Thwaites, Alicia Vikander, and Jacek Koman. It was released on October 16, 2014.