Movie Review: The Quarry (2020)

Genre: Crime Drama  

Director: Scott Teems  

Starring: Shea Whigham, Michael Shannon, Catalina Sandino Moreno  

Running Time: 98 minutes  

Synopsis: In an abandoned west Texas quarry, a wanted man (Shea Whigham) murders alcoholic traveling preacher David Martin (Bruno Bichir) and takes his place leading the small congregation in the town of Bevel. The impersonator has to hide his secret from police chief John Moore (Michael Shannon), his lover Celia (Catalina Sandino Moreno), and her cousin Valentin, who is the local thug dabbling in theft and drugs.

What Works Well: Within the middle-of-nowhere small town milieu, two themes contribute dramatic tension. The fugitive finds it difficult to lie while impersonating a preacher, and is therefore forced to navigate around the truth without revealing his identity. Meanwhile the criminal Valentin exploits the it-takes-one-to-know-one principle, but also occupies the cry-wolf space where the villain that no one can believe is the only person sensing the truth.

What Does Not Work As Well: The pacing downshifts from a slow burn to a painful crawl, filled with pregnant pauses, long stares, and empty space. The few characters combine with long stretches of static inaction to yield dreary viewing dominated by vacant pensiveness.

Key Quote:

Chief Moore: Ever lived in a town like this? Everybody knows everybody, and people think it's quaint.

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