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Bad country: film review.

Matt Dillon, Willem Dafoe and Tom Berenger co-star in Chris Brinker's final film.

By Justin Lowe

Justin Lowe

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Bad Country Poster Art - P 2014

Something of a cinematic artifact that’s either mildly intriguing or entirely forgettable, perhaps depending on any latent nostalgia for 80s-set crime thrillers, Bad Country represents the only feature directed by Boondock Saints producer Chris Brinker prior to his death last year. While this genre throwback shares some similarities to the Saints films, it’s not likely to occasion a level of mildly cultish enthusiasm comparable to Troy Duffy ‘s two features. Theatrical play appears to be a formality necessitated by the cast packaging, although late-night cable is more likely the movie’s native territory.

Badass Baton Rouge police detective Bud Carter ( Willem Dafoe ) knows that his arrest of recently released prison convict and hired killer Jesse Weiland ( Matt Dillon ) on drug and weapons charges has the potential to blow the lid off a regional organized-crime syndicate, but without support from federal prosecutors, his department won’t be able to launch the large-scale investigation required.

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Film Review: ‘Bad Country’

Willem Dafoe and Matt Dillon anchor this blandly constructed crime thriller set in 1983 Louisiana.

By Justin Chang

Justin Chang

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'Bad Country' Review: Willem Dafoe, Matt Dillon Star in '80s-Set Crime Thriller

A hardened cop and a desperate crook form an unlikely alliance that helps bring down an organized crime syndicate in “Bad Country,” a blandly executed action-thriller whose cast names ( Matt Dillon , Willem Dafoe ) and mild ’80s Louisiana flavor offer only modest compensations for the story’s workmanlike construction and routine twists. Opening for a brief theatrical run on April 11, this first and final directorial effort by “The Boondock Saints” producer Chris Brinker — who died of an aortic aneurysm last year, while the film (then titled “Whiskey Bay”) was still in post-production — feels like home-viewing fodder through and through, and should rack up a few downloads on the basis of its top-billed duo.

The loosely fact-inspired story (credited to four writers including Jonathan Hirschbein, who wrote the screenplay) begins in 1983 south Louisiana, also known as “hell with the lid off,” in the cynical parlance of Det. Lt. Bud Carter (Dafoe, sporting quite a mustache). Following a bloody trail of theft, smuggling, extortion and murder, Carter collars two low-level crooks and applies enough pressure in the interrogation room that they rat out their much tougher superior, Jesse Weiland (Dillon, also sporting quite a mustache), a contract killer. But for a number of reasons — chief among them the welfare of his wife (Amy Smart) and newborn son — Weiland has run out of options and, rather than face a lifetime in prison, reluctantly decides to turn police informant.

The rest of “Bad Country” chronicles the not-terribly-exciting fallout of Weiland’s actions, as he attempts to ingratiate himself with crime boss Lutin Adams (Tom Berenger) and get his hands on the syndicate’s top-secret list of assassination targets. Naturally, it’s not long before Carter’s name winds up on that list, just as it’s only a matter of time before Weiland blows his cover, no matter how careful he is to avoid incurring the suspicion of his crooked higher-ups. As the pic progresses from one indifferently staged shootout to the next (the image quality and editing rhythms degrading rapidly with each fresh burst of action), scenes that should crackle with tension instead feel rote and predictable — a feeling borne out by the presence of stock characters such as a corrupt attorney (Neal McDonough) or an officious, meddlesome FBI agent (Christopher Marquette).

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The picture doesn’t seem particularly interested in exploiting the potential chemistry between Dafoe and Dillon, both of whom bring what conviction and authority they can to roles that seem to have been engineered with no particular actors in mind. Tech credits are OK.

Reviewed on DVD, Pasadena, Calif., April 10, 2014. MPAA Rating: R. Running time: 104 MIN.

Production: A Sony Pictures Entertainment release of a CB Prods., ANA Media and Mandalay Vision Prod. presentation in association with Wilmor Entertainment. Produced by Chris Brinker, Jim Crabbe, Matthew Rhodes, Scott Einbinder, Nancy Green-Keyes, Kevin Chapman. Executive producers, Bud Connor, Mike Barnett, Jeff Steen, Mike Brinker, Justin Bursch, Patrick Newall, Don Yesso, Don Carmody, David Krintzman, Cole Hauser, Jonah Loop. Co-producer, Mike Quintana.
Crew: Directed by Chris Brinker. Screenplay, Jonathan Hirschbein; story, Mike Barnett, Bud Connor, Tom Abernathy, Hirschbein. Camera (color, HD), Zoran Popovic; editor, Michael J. Duthie; music, Jeff Danna, John Fee; music supervisor, Joe Paganelli; production designer, Tom Lisowski; set decorator, Monique Champagne; costume designer, Mary E. McLeod; sound (Dolby Digital), Richard Schexnayder, Nolan LaBlanc; supervising sound mixers, John W. Frost, Patrick O. Bird; sound designers, Eric J. Stolz, Dave West; re-recording mixer, Frost; special effects supervisor, Steve Riley; visual effects supervisor, Jonah Loop; visual effects, Loop Films; stunt coordinator/action director, Ron Yuan; stunt co-coordinators/fight choreographers, James Lew, Mike Wilson; line producer, Charles Rapp; associate producers, Michael J. Duthie, Steve Riley, Robert Lewis, Abernathy; assistant director, Craig Borden; second unit camera, Jesse Brunt; casting, Nancy Green-Keyes, Matthew Barry.
With: Matt Dillon, Willem Dafoe, Neal McDonough, Amy Smart, Chris Marquette, Don Yesso, Kevin Chapman, Bill Duke, Tom Berenger, Christopher Denham, Alex Solowitz, John Edward Lee, Ritchie Montgomery, Frederick Weller, Patrick Brinker, Jeff Leaf.

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Review: Retro ‘Bad Country’ roughs up its tough guys

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If “Bad Country” plays like a 1980s time capsule, that’s not just because it’s set in the decade. The grim-faced antagonists are also macho holdovers from the era: Willem Dafoe, Matt Dillon and Tom Berenger.

Such veteran-packing, however, proves to be of little consequence to this thoroughly routine, straight-to-video-reminiscent action thriller set in Louisiana.

All three stars have played both sides of the moral divide over their careers, but this time around, Dafoe is the dedicated lawman and Berenger is the crime boss, while Dillon is the straddler, a criminal and family man recruited by Dafoe to bring down Berenger’s syndicate from within.

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Everyone is upstaged, however, by the silly accouterments: handlebar mustaches on Dafoe and Dillon that look like some sort of bad lip-toupees, and an ensemble on Berenger that’s more Col. Sanders than fearsome baddie.

Director Chris Brinker, a producer on “The Boondock Saints” and its sequel, died last year as he was finishing what would be his first and only feature as a director. We’ll never know if his love of retro tough guys, grizzled face-offs and chaotic gunplay would have ever had the chance to develop into something more entertaining than “Bad Country.”

-------------------------

“Bad Country”

MPAA rating: R for strong violence and language, sexuality and drug use.

Running time: 1 hour, 44 minutes.

Playing: At the Crest, Westwood.

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Bad Country Reviews

Action fans need more than bullets and bodies. "Bad Country" is a disappointment.

Full Review | Original Score: C | May 8, 2014

True to its name, Bad Country falls short on almost every count, but it's not just bad - it's also lazy, lifeless and guilty of squandering many fine actors.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/10 | Apr 21, 2014

A blandly executed action-thriller whose cast names (Matt Dillon, Willem Dafoe) and mild '80s Louisiana flavor offer only modest compensations for the story's workmanlike construction and routine twists.

Full Review | Apr 11, 2014

[A] thoroughly routine, straight-to-video-reminiscent action thriller set in Louisiana.

Full Review | Apr 10, 2014

Bad Country

Where to Watch

Matt Dillon (Jesse Weiland) Willem Dafoe (Bud Carter) Neal McDonough (Daniel Kiersey) Amy Smart (Lynn Weiland) Christopher Rodriguez Marquette (Martin Fitch) Don Yesso (Mike Bannock) Kevin Chapman (Daniel Morris) Christopher Denham (Tommy Weiland) Alex Solowitz (Buzz McKinnnon) John Edward Lee (Catfish Stanton)

Chris Brinker

In 1980s Louisiana a police detective arrests a contract killer. To be with his wife and newborn, he becomes an informant and assists in taking down the crime ring boss etc. FBI, blood and revenge follows.

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'Bad Country' Trailer: The Real Killer Is Willem Dafoe's Amazing Mustache

Films can get financing based on the attachment of a recognizable cast, and when a film's director has previous credits producing known films, it makes it easier to bring elements together, whether or not the script is any good.

Inspired by real events, BAD COUNTRY is a gritty Louisiana set crime drama. Detective Bud Carter's investigations lead to the arrest of Jesse Weiland, a contract killer from a criminal syndicate. Weiland, facing life in prison and losing his family, puts his trust in Carter and becomes an informant. The case attracts the FBI, who in turn, wrestles control from Carter. When a sting goes bad, the syndicate boss, Lutin Adams uses crooked politicians and lawyers to identify Weiland as the 'rat.' His family is executed, setting Weiland on a path of revenge executing targets on a manhunt for Lutin. Carter takes control, pursuing the syndicate to the French Quarter. The climax explodes as Carter, Weiland and Lutin are caught in a triangular crossfire.

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Bad country.

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When Baton Rouge police detective Bud Carter (Dafoe) busts contract killer Jesse Weiland (Dillon), he convinces Jesse to become an informant and rat out the South’s most powerful crime ring. So when the syndicate orders Carter’s death and Weiland’s ID’d as a snitch, the two team up to take down the mob and the crime boss (Berenger) who ordered the hit. Matt Dillon, Willem Dafoe, Neal McDonough. Amy Smart, and Tom Berenger star in Bad Country, a gritty action thriller from director Chris Brinker, a producer of The Boondock Saints.

Home > Bad Country Ending Explained

Bad Country Ending Explained
UPDATED: September 19, 2023

The ending of the movie “Bad Country” has left many viewers scratching their heads, trying to make sense of what just happened. The crime thriller, directed by Chris Brinker, follows the story of a detective named Bud Carter who teams up with a notorious criminal named Jesse Weiland to bring down a powerful crime syndicate. However, the film takes an unexpected turn in its final moments, leaving audiences puzzled and wanting answers.

*Spoiler Alert*

In the climax of the movie, Bud Carter manages to successfully infiltrate the crime syndicate and gather enough evidence to put its members behind bars. He also convinces Jesse Weiland to testify against his former associates in exchange for immunity. It seems like justice will finally be served, and everything is falling into place.

But just when it appears that the story is reaching its resolution, a shocking twist occurs. Jesse Weiland is suddenly gunned down in cold blood by an unknown assailant while he is under police protection. This unexpected turn of events leaves both the characters and viewers stunned.

The abrupt ending raises several questions. Who killed Jesse Weiland? Why did they do it? And what does this mean for Bud Carter and his pursuit of justice?

One interpretation of the ending suggests that Jesse’s murder was orchestrated by someone within law enforcement or even higher up in the criminal organization. This theory implies that there are corrupt individuals who want to silence Jesse before he can testify against them, ensuring their own safety and continued criminal activities.

Another possible explanation is that Jesse’s murder was simply a result of his past catching up with him. Throughout the film, it is made clear that he has made countless enemies due to his involvement in criminal activities. Perhaps one of these enemies finally caught up with him, seeking revenge for past wrongdoings.

The ambiguous ending also serves as a commentary on the cyclical nature of crime and corruption. Despite Bud Carter’s efforts to bring down the crime syndicate, it seems that the system is too deeply rooted for any real change to occur. Jesse’s murder serves as a reminder that even when it seems like justice will prevail, there are always forces at play that can disrupt and undermine it.

While the ending of “Bad Country” may leave viewers frustrated and craving closure, it also adds a layer of realism to the story. In real life, not all mysteries are solved, and not all loose ends are tied up neatly. The film’s open-ended conclusion forces us to confront the harsh realities of the world depicted within its narrative.

In conclusion, the ending of “Bad Country” leaves much room for interpretation and discussion. Whether it was a result of corruption within law enforcement or simply an act of vengeance from one of Jesse’s enemies, the film’s final moments serve as a reminder that justice is not always easily achieved. It is a thought-provoking conclusion that challenges our expectations and leaves us pondering long after the credits roll.

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A hardened cop and a desperate crook form an unlikely alliance that helps bring down an organized crime syndicate in “ Bad Country ,” a blandly executed action-thriller whose cast names ( Matt Dillon , Willem Dafoe ) and mild ’80s Louisiana flavor offer only modest compensations for the story’s workmanlike construction and routine twists. Opening for a brief theatrical run on April 11, this first and final directorial effort by “The Boondock Saints” producer Chris Brinker — who died of an aortic aneurysm last year, while the film (then titled “Whiskey Bay”) was still in post-production — feels like home-viewing fodder through and through, and should rack up a few downloads on the basis of its top-billed duo.

2014 Variety Media, LLC, a subsidiary of Penske Business Media; Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC

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Bad country.

2014 Directed by Chris Brinker

When Baton Rouge police detective Bud Carter busts contract killer Jesse Weiland, he convinces Jesse to become an informant and rat out the South's most powerful crime ring.

Matt Dillon Willem Dafoe Neal McDonough Amy Smart Christopher Marquette Don Yesso Kevin Chapman Bill Duke Tom Berenger Christopher Denham Alex Solowitz John Edward Lee Ritchie Montgomery Frederick Weller Patrick Brinker Jeff Leaf Pat Fisher Ronn Surels

Director Director

Chris Brinker

Producers Producers

Kevin Chapman Michael J. Duthie Nancy Green-Keyes Matthew Rhodes Scott Einbinder Chris Brinker Steve Riley Jim Crabbe Tom Abernathy Mike Quintana Robert Lewis

Writers Writers

Jonathan Hirschbein Mike Barnett Bud Connor Tom Abernathy

Casting Casting

Matthew Barry Nancy Green-Keyes

Editor Editor

Michael J. Duthie

Cinematography Cinematography

Zoran Popovic

Assistant Directors Asst. Directors

Craig Borden Mike Brinker

Executive Producers Exec. Producers

Cole Hauser Don Carmody Jonah Loop Don Yesso Justin Bursch David Krintzman Patrick Newall Mike Barnett Bud Connor Jeff Steen Mike Brinker

Lighting Lighting

Joshua Anderson Allen Parks Richard Landry Jared Wilcox Gregg Marion Christopher Williams Kevin Coignet Bradley Floyd Steven Lee Tyler

Camera Operators Camera Operators

Keith Gruchala Manolo Rojas

Additional Photography Add. Photography

Jesse Brunt

Production Design Production Design

Tom Lisowski

Set Decoration Set Decoration

Monique Champagne David Goodwin Ryan LeBlanc Arthur Kirk Martin Clayton Davis Justin Meriwether Danny Florian Mark Perot

Visual Effects Visual Effects

Stunts stunts.

Ron Yuan Danny Epper

Composers Composers

Jeff Danna John Fee

Sound Sound

John W. Frost Tristan Warren James A. Moore Michael B. Koff Richard Schexnayder Nolan LaBlanc Eric J. Stolz Fletcher Alliston James Eck Rippie

Costume Design Costume Design

Mary E. McLeod

Makeup Makeup

Kim Collea Ashley Levy

Hairstyling Hairstyling

Margeaux Fox Budd Bird Marissa Smith

Wilmor Entertainment Mandalay Vision CB Productions ANA Media

Releases by Date

26 sep 2014, 12 mar 2014, 19 mar 2014, 23 mar 2014, 14 apr 2014, 29 apr 2014, 07 may 2014, 21 may 2014, 10 aug 2015, 10 mar 2014, 11 mar 2014, releases by country.

Digital MA15+ DVD
Digital 16 DVD / Blu-ray
Digital DVD

Netherlands

Physical 12 DVD
Digital 12 Netflix
Physical 15 DVD
Digital DVD / Blu-ray
Premiere San Diego Film Festival

95 mins More at IMDb TMDb Report this page

Popular reviews

Review by UltimateMovieRankings ★★★½

Why I watched this one? Pretty good cast on the cover....Matt Dillion, Amy Smart and former Platoon sergeants Willem Dafoe and Tom Berenger.

What is this one about? Matt Dillion plays a lifelong criminal who is forced to help a Baton Rouge cop, Willem Dafoe, take down his crime boss Tom Berenger.

My thoughts on this one? This is actually a pretty good crime movie. It evidently sat on the shelf for over a year before it was finally released to dvd. Movie is set in the early 1980s....so we get some pretty funky mustaches from Dillion and Dafoe. In some ways the movie reminded me of one of my favorite tv shows..Justified. Final thought: Worth checking out. Plus you get the added bonus of seeing Sgt. Elias paying back Sgt. Barnes.

Review by ZaraGwen ★★ 1

I just watched it and I don't remember what happened

Review by Andy Ferguson ½ 2

I've watched plenty of bad movies lately, but only one of them can take the trophy for worst film I've watched since the beginning of 2014. That award handily goes to the unspeakably incompetent and sloppy new "thriller", Bad Country . It's the directorial debut of Chris Brinker, who previously was a producer on both Boondock Saints movies. Maybe I should have read those credits before watching this avalanche of stupidity.

It's easy to assume that Willem Dafoe became pretty good friends with Brinker when they worked together on Boondock , because I can't see any other reason why an actor of his caliber would want to accept a major role in a film this bad unless it was a favor. It presents…

Review by maneleeo ★★½

Could have been better, Willem Dafoe always makes a film worthwhile though.

"Hate is like drinking poison and hope the other guy dies" - I liked this quote a lot, so I decided to leave it here.

Review by Jimbo without the Jet-Set ★★

Boring cheap looking TV fill and a complete waste of a very talented cast.

Review by Sarah Collins ★★★★ 1

I really liked this, Matt Dillon is always a stand out, this is the last recent film of his that he's filmed, so there's not much else from him movie wise coming out soon, but this is great. I do think it could have been better, but it has solid performances that steal the film.

Review by MitchyD25 ★

One of the worst films I’ve ever seen, so painfully boring. The best part of the film, is easily the moustaches.

Review by feedme ★★★½

Matt Dillion and William Dafoe was really good. However, this movie just felt unpolished. Felt like this was a first draft or something.

Review by Liam McNeal ★

STORY 2/5 WRITING 1.5/5 ACTING 2/5 MUSIC 2.5/5 CINEMATOGRAPHY 2.5/5

First of all, Matt Dillon's mustache is ridiculous. It's freaking ridiculous, and that is the best word that I can use to describe it.

I really don't like watching movies like this. Movies that you just know are going to suck. I know, don't judge a movie by it's poster and so on, but it's obvious that movies like this suck. The only reason I watch this is because I want to watch as many movies as I can, and thus gain experience.

I'll try to focus on the positive side of this film... which is difficult. So basically, take the following as, "This movie sucks, but..."

Willem Dafoe is…

Review by Ian Overton ★½

This film is so boring that I have had to review it straight after watching it because I know that I will have forgotten about it in a few hours from now.

Review by Greg ★½

Great cast, shocking film.

Fair play to them because they were served absolute garbage to work with.

Review by Kevin Cormier ★★★

A cop played by Willem Dafoe thinks the guys he busted are part of a much bigger picture and turns his arrest into an opportunity for a chance at a Louisiana crime syndicate. Pretty typical crime thriller, but up a notch due to performances from Dafoe and Matt Dillon. Amy Smart is criminally underused in this film. Pretty decent watch especially for fans of this genre.

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Bad country (2014) review.

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Bad Country was directed by Chris Brinker, written by Jonathan Hirschbein, and stars Matt Dillon, Willem Dafoe, Christopher Marquette, John Edward Lee, Amy Smart, Tom Berenger, and Bill Duke. It’s about an arrested contract killer getting in too deep after agreeing to be an informant to negate his punishment.

The Plot: Affording to film a good plot can be expensive and therefore hard to accomplish, so most movies seemingly try not to take leaps into the unknown so as to retain a broad audience. This is an amplified phenomenon in the low budget realm, where films like Bad Country try their luck with unremarkable plots and esteemed performers to little avail. Southern Louisiana, 1983, undercover officer Carter (Dafoe) has just busted a ring of illegal diamond dealers but has a hunch that there was more to the crooks than a few strung out idiots, which leads him to Jesse (Dillon), who he gets a conviction on, but still knows there’s more to discover. It’s a fine start, fish nor fowl, and one would hope that Hirschbein would find an interesting destination to take the story, but those hopes are quashed with the arrival of newbie federal agent Fitch (Marquette), who’s been assigned to the case too. Cliches cometh. While in prison, Jesse gets a call from his ex-employer, mobster Lutin (Berenger), who threatens his wife Lynn (Smart) and future. Bad Country takes the easy way out by doing this, making Jesse’s choice to turn tail and reveal evidence that involves Catfish (Lee), and Lutin, and eventually goes undercover in his old gang where twists you’ll see coming, agents like Nokes (Duke) get anxious in scenes you’ve seen, and all the same lines get crossed for the rest of Bad Country. A lack of details about the particulars of the story, such as what exactly Lutin does (or rather, doesn’t do) muddy the plot further, but everyone knows the strokes. The Characters: In case audiences became too accustomed to New England accents but wanted the same relative identities to make up their next viewing, Bad Country pastes the same old archetypes with a southern drawl and calls it a day. Jesse gets all the hallmarks of what a writer who wants their viewership to judge a character as “bad” but still able to be redeemed through a good act or two. He was a neo-Nazi, diamond seller, and drug pusher outside of prison and alleged contract killer for outsiders who wanted incarcerated targets dealt with from the inside. Of course, he’s given most of this up and only wants to live with his wife and newborn child, as is the cliche. His arc is a complete 180 and barely registers. Jesse isn’t thin; really, he’s overcooked. Carter takes up the other side of the screen for most of the scenes not involving Jesse, but not a thing about him is gleaned. Obviously he’s a few notches above his peers and possesses a higher level of intrinsic desire to do his job, but aside from the intensity of the character, any personality would be given by Dafoe; but he, like most of the cast, isn’t all that interested in the material. Supporting characters are mostly ignored by Brinker, who chooses to focus on the steely gazes traded by the hardened loners in the leads. Frankly, it was a wise move, as it seems like Hirschbein didn’t have much in mind for the rest of the people in Bad Country. Dillon and Smart were giving some effort, but everyone else must’ve seen the subpar script and accepted for the zeroes on their checks.

The Crime: The script for Bad Country had been written with the experiences of ex-cop Don Connor (who was given a producer credit) in mind, and while they may have been stimulating in reality, Brinker didn’t do much to bring a pulse to the fictionalized script. For the first 20 odd minutes of the movie, Carter remains at the center of the screen, but Bad Country doesn’t have much for him to do. There’s the diamond bust and ensuing questioning, but the movie skips over the deduction process that brings him to Jesse; instead he just gets a phone call from a warden who exposits his rap sheet, which gives the cop a contrived reason to reach the con. Navigating the southern mob doesn’t exactly reinvigorate the feature, but there’s more for it to work through instead of watching establishing shots while characters figure everything out off-screen. Jesse’s trial is fudged on purpose, allowing Lutin to post his bail and get one over on his ex-employee by enticing the family man to come back to work. Said work is acceptably entertaining, and it includes overseeing arms deals, eking out Lutin’s deals, and delivering a list of names that Lutin has accepted hits on; and most of this comes with the green Fitch making bad calls and putting his (kinda) informant in greater risk. More happens in Bad Country, but a lot of the 80ish minutes that follow Carter’s drafting of Jesse are devoted to discussing the same details with the law bringers that played out in scenes just prior to said discussions, and extraneous business dealings with Lutin’s clients making their own deals. At least there are some sparks in this pedestrian crime tale. The Technics: Brinker was making his directorial debut with Bad Country, but sadly passed away not long after shooting was finished, leaving the unedited picture in the hands of the production team, which didn’t help its stability as entertainment. Since most of the recognizable faces in the cast are in underwritten and small roles (including Neal McDonough in an inconsequential role as a lawyer), some of the production budget probably would’ve been better off being spent on reconstructing the 1980s. As it stands, the movie doesn’t register as a period piece with the exceptions of a few older cars, telephones, and bristling facial hair. The movie does at least accomplish its goal of capturing the Louisianian setting with scenes in swampy bayous, historical plantations, and manufacturing sites, all mostly shot on location. Camerawork is a generally lumbering component of Bad Country, as Brinker was only ever a producer up to the making of this outing, he didn’t quite have an eye for visuals. Shots are often flatly lit and unremarkably photographed with static shots filmed at even angles, making each one interchangeable. What few scenes boil over into violence are shaky and forced to use CG blood for the sake of time and spending, spoiling the possibilities for a further embrace of the tangible atmosphere barring a handful of scenes that showed promise. There have been worse directorial efforts by people whose primary vocation is producing, but Bad Country isn’t a good picture even by that measure. It’s endlessly generic and lacking polish in its final state, making viewing a great cast an unimpressive bore.

Release date (US): April 29, 2014

Distributor: Sony

Runtime: 95 minutes

MPAA rating: R

'Civil War' review: Kirsten Dunst leads visceral look at consequences of a divided America

We see “Civil War” trending on social media all too commonly in our divided country, for one reason or another, and usually nodding to extreme cultural or ideological differences. With his riveting new action thriller of the same name, writer/director Alex Garland delivers a riveting cautionary tale that forces viewers to confront its terrifying real-life consequences.

“Civil War” (★★★½ out of four; rated R; in theaters Friday) imagines a near-future America that’s dystopian in vision but still realistic enough to be eerily unnerving. It's a grounded, well-acted ode to the power of journalism and a thought-provoking, visceral fireball of an anti-war movie.

Played exceptionally by Kirsten Dunst , Lee is an acclaimed war photographer covering a fractured America: The Western Forces led by California and Texas have seceded from the USA and are days away from a final siege on the federal government. Lee and her reporting partner Joel (Wagner Moura) have been tasked with traveling from New York City to Washington to interview the president (Nick Offerman) before the White House falls.

After visually capturing humanity's worst moments, Lee is as world-weary and jaded as one can be. But after saving aspiring photographer Jessie (Cailee Spaeny) during a Brooklyn suicide bombing, Lee becomes a reluctant mentor as the young woman worms her way into their crew. Also in the press van: senior journalist Sammy (Stephen McKinley Henderson), hitching a ride to the Western Forces military base in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Most of “Civil War” is an episodic odyssey where Lee and company view the mighty toll taken by this conflict: the graveyard of cars on what’s left of I-95, for example, or how an innocent-looking holiday stop turns deadly courtesy of an unseen shooter. Primarily, however, it’s a disturbing internal examination of what happens when we turn on each other, when weekend warriors take up arms against trained soldiers, or armed neighbors are given a way to do bad things to people they just don’t like.

'No dark dialogue!': Kirsten Dunst says 5-year-old son helped her run lines for 'Civil War'

Given its polarizing nature, “Civil War" is actually not that "political." Garland doesn’t explain what led to the secession or much of the historical backstory, and even Offerman’s president isn’t onscreen enough to dig into any real-life inspirations, outside of some faux bluster in the face of certain defeat. (He’s apparently in his third term and dismantled the FBI, so probably not a big Constitutionalist.)

Rather than two hours of pointing fingers, Garland is more interested in depicting the effect of a civil war rather than the cause. As one sniper points out in a moment when Lee and Joel are trying not to die, when someone’s shooting a gun at you, it doesn’t matter what side you’re on or who’s good and who's bad.

The director’s intellectual filmography has explored everything from ecological issues ( “Annihilation” ) to AI advancement ( “Ex Machina” ), and there are all sorts of heady themes at play in “Civil War.” “What kind of American are you?” asks a racist soldier played with a steady, ruthless cruelty by Jesse Plemons (Dunst's husband) in a disturbing scene that nods to an even deeper conflict in society than the one torching this fictionalized version. There's also an underlying sense of apathy that the characters face, with hints that much of the country is just willfully ignoring the conflict because they'd rather not think about it. But this hellish road trip also maintains a sense of hopefulness − via the growing relationship between Lee and Jessie – and is pretty exciting even with its multitude of horrors.

'You get paid a lot of money': Kirsten Dunst says she's open for another superhero movie

“Civil War” is a thoughtful movie with blockbuster ambitions, and while it does embrace more of a straightforward action flick vibe toward its climactic end, Garland still lands a lasting gut punch. He immerses audiences in the unpredictable nature of war, with gunfire and explosions leaving even the calmest sort on edge, and paints a sprawling canvas of an America forever changed. Thankfully, it’s just a warning and not a promise, using the movie theater as a public service announcement rather than an escape from the real world.

Bad Country (2014)

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