Review by Doug Cooper
Stars Sam Worthington. Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Jessica Chastain. Chloe Grace Moretz, Stephen Graham, Annabeth Gish, Sheryl Lee, Jason Clark, Tom Proctor, Leanne Cochran
Written by Don Ferrarone
Certification UK 15 | US R
Runtime 105 minutes
Directed by Ami Canaan Mann
Michael Mann's daughter Ami helmed this police procedural, and a competent job she makes of it too. She's adept in conjuring a doomladen atmosphere in the sunny swamplands where the dead bodies of young girls are left after being viciously slain. Worthington and Morgan are the steadfast cops on the trail of the killer. They have certain suspects in mind as they interrogate uncouth redneck individuals but who is the real culprit?
Worthington is excellent as the hothead of the pair, lashing out forcefully at potential perpetrators and failing to keep his temper in check. Morgan is the 'tec who lets the case get under his skin, taking time out to investigate identical murders that are not within his jurisdiction, but they do fall within the parameters of Chastain's county. She plays a fellow cop and Worthington's ex-wife, but as she's very pretty, she's never taken seriously by her woolly minded male superiors. She helps the duo out but it's a slow process in rooting out the villain, and Morgan becomes obsessed when young Moretz, a resourceful teenager with an unhappy homelife, disappears in the Texan dumping ground.
Do you remember Sheryl Lee from Twin Peaks? She played Laura Palmer. She pops up here as Moretz's alcoholic slut of a mother and is completely unrecognisable. All the performances are impressive, with Worthington on top form as the determined detective with a screw loose. He and his co-stars are excellent and Mann's surefooted, deliberately paced direction, despite a couple of jarring continuity errors, draws you in with sleazy skill. There are no great surprises, but if you're in the mood for a solid police thriller, well made and watchable, then this one is well worth seeking out.