Synopsis: Deputy Sheriff Lou Ford (Casey Affleck) is a pillar of the community in his small west Texas town, patient and apparently thoughtful. Some people think he is a little slow and maybe boring, but that he is nevertheless ordinary and dependable. Nobody knows about what Lou calls his "sickness": He is a violent sociopath with a taste for violence and murder.I like a lot about this movie... it's stylish and very nicely made with a solid cast that gives some great performances. Most notably is Casey Affleck, who is fantastic, but I thought Kate Hudson and Jessica Alba were both good as well. The film is very thought-provoking, chilling and compelling. I was drawn into places I really didn't want to be and it's an uncomfortable feeling that a lot of films try for but few achieve.
What's not to like? Well, it plods along a bit at times and it's brutally violence. The violence is visceral and in your face, and mostly against women. It's disturbingly sadistic and I realize it's sort of told through the view of the killer so some (maybe most) of it is necessary, but might could have been toned down a little. And this is from a guy who doesn't really flinch at ultra-violent horror movies, I'm just saying perhaps it distracted a bit from what's more of a dark noir thriller than a horror film.I can see a lot of people being turned off by this, which is a shame because it's a fascinating film at times and might be only interpreted as cruel by some.
Also, I was a bit let down by the ending. Imagine a group of people with no sense of smell, at least one of whom has been on top of everything through the whole film and suddenly he becomes an idiot.
Definitely not for everyone, but a very interesting and violent study of a disturbed human being. Maybe sort of like if the Coen brothers re-imagined Andy Griffith.
7.5/10
