Today’s quick review: Cut Bank. Trouble comes to the town of Cut Bank, Montana, when Dwayne McClaren (Liam Hemsworth) and his girlfriend Cassandra (Teresa Palmer) catch the murder of Georgie Wits (Bruce Dern), the local mailman, on video. As Sheriff Roland Vogel (John Malkovich) investigates the town’s first-ever homicide, mild-mannered loner Derby Milton (Michael Stuhlbarg) sets out to find a package of his that was lost in the incident.
Cut Bank is a crime drama set in a small Northwestern town. What begins as a shocking but isolated murder soon grows into a tangle of lies and deception that shakes the town to its core. Cut Bank features a well-balanced mixture of character development, plot twists, and dark secrets. Although it lacks the macabre content and immediate danger of other crime thrillers, it packs enough of a punch to satisfy anyone willing to invest in its story.
Cut Bank makes good use of the tools at its disposal. The cast is a solid hit, with natural roles for John Malkovich, Liam Hemsworth, Michael Stuhlbarg, and Billy Bob Thornton. The characters have some depth to them, with varied personalities that have an impact on how the story plays out. The story moves in a clear direction without being too easy to predict. The result a movie that isn’t exactly shocking but does make for an engaging mystery.
Fans of the crime genre may want to give Cut Bank a shot. There are other, similar movies that build up more tension or deliver more shocking twists, but Cut Bank carves out a reasonable niche for itself with its well-constructed characters and plot. Those looking for more action, more stylization, or a dark story that goes all the way will want to steer clear.
For a crime drama with a similar plot and setting and a darkly comedic tone, try Fargo or Cold Pursuit. For a minimalistic crime thriller that unravels in similar ways, try Blood Simple or Blue Ruin. For a small-town mystery in a similar vein, try Shimmer Lake. For a darker, more violent crime movie with a similar setup, try No Country for Old Men or The Hollow Point. For another crime drama about unwitting witnesses, try First Kill or Cop Car.
6.0 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.5 to 7.0 for a good cast and a solid story that’s missing some of the impact it needs.