Shotgun stories (2008) Director Jeff Nichols Writer Jeff Nichols Actors Michael Shannon - Son Hayes Douglas Ligon - Boy Hayes Barlow Jacobs - Kid Hayes Natalie Canerday - Nicole Glenda Pannell - Annie Hayes Lynnsee Provence - Stephen Hayes

Shotgun Stories (2008)

Shotgun Stories is the debut of writer/director Jeff Nichols, and is produced by David Gordon Green. In many ways you’ll find thematic similarities to Green’s Undertow. I’m a fan of Green’s work and I would have checked out Shotgun Stories based on his name alone. However, I checked this movie out based on the talents of Michael Shannon who’s performance in Bug should have received an award or two. The same can be said of his performance as Son Hayes in Shotgun Stories.

Son Hayes(Shannon)is the oldest of his brothers who have lived in an abusive broken home in South-East Arkansas. He has shot-gun pellet scars along his back, of which his coworkers make bets as to how he got them. When he and his brothers find out their father has died, who abandoned them to start another family in the same town, they decide to crash his funeral. This starts a family feud amongst the half brothers that leads to violence and death.

This is what Independent filmmaking is at its very best. We never quite learn how Son got his scars or how their father was outside of abandoning them and starting over. The typical ending would have been to have an epic gunfight ala Wild Bunch but instead we are subjected to something much more emotionally fulfilling and cerebral. This is a movie that will stay with you.

This is perhaps one of the great Prisoner’s dilemma situations where violence begets violence. I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for Jeff Nichols in the future. Shotgun Stories is a visceral ride that takes what is thought to be a Western to new heights. This review has been a bit difficult to articulate, and once you see Shotgun Stories you’ll understand why.

REVIEW SCORE
[Rating:4/4]

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5. Wanted (2008)

Tags: Arkansas, Michael, Nichols, Review, Shannon, Shotgun, Stories, The Movies, Undertown, Western