by Shane Conto, Staff Writer
There is nothing like the connection between a parent and child, and nothing is more painful than the loss of a child. Writer/director Evan Ari Kelman explores such a situation in his thriller, Barron’s Cove. This film is not your standard film about loss as a parent, because it has a protagonist, Caleb (Garrett Hedlund), who will do just about anything to find out the truth behind his son’s brutal death, including kidnapping a mysterious and unnerving child who might know the truth. This kidnapping turned conspiracy has plenty of twisted elements up its sleeve.
Kelman crafts a consistent atmosphere that is pregnant with gloom, doom, and pain. The tension can be cut with a knife, and the visuals and tone are as darkened and brutal as the nature of the story. There are big emotional moments as well, including those where Caleb sees the scene, or when his son’s mother Jackie (Brittany Snow) first identifies the body. This is not a film with much subtlety. It is big, impactful, and chilling. So many scenes are hard to watch because of how devastating they are. The tone and vibe can be overbearing at times, but when you are dealing with such sensitive topics, you expect the emotions to be as high as they can be — Kelman deftly explores all of this.
But his writing doesn’t quite reach the heights of his direction. Barron’s Cove works because its atmosphere and tone elevate above glaring shortcomings in the script. But there are effective and impactful elements in Kelman’s script as well. What makes this film so fascinating is the complexity of its characters and scenarios. Caleb is not a good man. He is willing to brutalize, threaten, and kidnap a child. Ironically, the love he has for his son anchors his character. The child he kidnaps is at first glance quite evil and diabolical. What is the most impressive in this story is the unexpected connection that Kelman crafts between Caleb and his kidnapping victim, Ethan (Christian Convery). Their similar trauma bonds them in a situation that is complicated and perverse. Certain subplots and red herrings make the film a bit too convoluted and clunky. And the film’s bluntness at times takes things too far in regards to how complex and flawed this cast of characters is. Some loose logic and unrefined narrative beats make the film a compelling yet flawed experience. There could have been a few moments, scenes, and characters completely cut without changing anything substantially.
The cast has to be excellent to really sell what Kelman is doing, and luckily he found performers to rise to that occasion. Hedlund is a raw, throbbing nerve in human form, and his big acting choices hit. There is a thin line between melodramatic overacting and what Hedlund does, yet he fits nicely into the positive side. Snow has a few big moments herself, and she really sells them. Convery crafts an unnerving turn as the kidnapped boy, and he gives off lots of suspicious vibes. Without his and Hedlund’s performances, this film would struggle mightily to deliver on such a complicated narrative.
Meanwhile, Hamish Linklater’s character Lyle doesn’t have tons of layers, but Linklater makes him so believably slimy and awful. Stephen Lang is the biggest supporting character actor who makes a big impact, not to discount that of Marc Menchaca, Raúl Castillo, and Tramell Tillman, each of whom have limited roles.
Barron’s Cove is certainly flawed, but enough of it clicks. Its rich and dark themes (those of trauma, loss, forgiveness, and consequences) make this a dour yet emotional experience. Kelman does not deliver a smooth path to the film’s resolution, but there is enough rawness and tension to make it at least worthwhile.
Rating: It Was Just Okay
Barron’s Cove is currently playing in theaters
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