Director: Rod Lurie
Stars: James Marsden, Kate Bosworth, Alexander Skarsgård
Studio: Screen Gems
Genre: Thriller
L.A. screenwriter David Sumner (Marsden) relocates with his wife Amy (Bosworth) to her hometown in the deep South. There, while tensions build between them, a brewing conflict with locals becomes a threat to them both.
Straw Dogs Movie Poster
Straw Dogs L.A. screenwriter David Sumner relocates with his wife to her hometown in the deep South. There, while tensions build between them, a brewing conflict with locals becomes a threat to them both.
Straw Dogs Trailer for Straw Dogs
Nearly 40 years later, discussion continues concerning Sam Peckinpah’s “fascist classic” its nihilism and the barrage of third-act violence working together to test your allegiance to the artist. Now we get a remake set in the oft-demonized American south with an acceptable cast, a workhorse director, and a hard-R desire exceed the level of violence in the original. But, we ask, to what end? Does anyone involved in this project think it’ll remain a topic of conversation by the end of the year? How about into 2012 and beyond? As it stands, more press attention is being paid to the romance between co-stars Kate Bosworth and Alexander Skarsgård.
STRAW DOGS is an outstanding movie! It’s a character-driven thriller that builds to an explosive climax. The performances are well-directed across the board, and Alexander Skarsgard and James Woods are especially effective in their roles.
The setup is simple: a California couple relocates to the wife’s hometown in the deep South and they become steadily antagonized by a local group of men. Where this film really excels is in its execution. The opening scene really sets the tone for the film. You can tell immediately that this movie is going to be about survival. Rod Lurie does a great job introducing the major characters in a sharply delineated fashion and then layering the characterization so the conflict, both internal and external, unfolds at a deliberate pace. It grounds the story in character and makes the third act very satisfying, exciting and earned.
The entire film is very well made. Strong script, precise direction, a lot of symbolism and thematic resonance. It’s well worth a trip to the theater to see it. It’s engaging, sometimes funny, often intense, and excellent performance-driven filmmaking.
Release Date: 16 September 2011 (USA)
