Movie Review: Aftermath (2017)

Genre: Drama  

Director: Elliott Lester  

Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Scoot McNairy, Maggie Grace  

Running Time: 92 minutes  

Synopsis: Air traffic controller Jake (Scoot McNairy) is on-duty and alone in the Columbus, Ohio control tower, and his divided attention contributes to a tragic mid-air collision. The victims include the wife and pregnant daughter of construction foreman Roman (Arnold Schwarzenegger). Both men's lives are changed forever, and Jake eventually relocates away from his wife (Maggie Grace) and young son. Roman sinks into a depression, and is determined to find someone to blame for his loss.

What Works Well: Inspired by the 2002 Überlingen mid-air collision, this is a heartfelt exploration of loss and grief. Jake is forced to live with the horrific consequences of one fateful shift, and Roman loses everything he ever cared for, without an apology from any source to lean on. Their subsequent trajectories pass through shock and untethering, both men seeking non-existent answers within the carnage of cruel fate. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Scoot McNairy find wounded humanity beneath standard victim definitions. 

What Does Not Work As Well: The grim emotional tone is set early, and remains entrenched throughout. Director Elliott Lester has to stretch the material over several emotionally redundant patches to fill the gap between crash and final resolution. Along the way, the accident investigation is short-changed into an insulting compensation offer delivered by sleazy airline executives.

Key Quote:

Roman: Look at this photo. I would like for someone to say that they're sorry for killing my family.

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Movie Review: Speak No Evil (2024)

Genre: Suspense Horror  

Director: James Watkins  
Starring: James McAvoy, Mackenzie Davis, Scoot McNairy  
Running Time: 110 minutes  

Synopsis: While in Italy on vacation, American couple Louise and Ben (Mackenzie Davis and Scoot McNairy) and their daughter Agnes befriend British couple Paddy and Ciara (James McAvoy and Aisling Franciosi) and their son Ant, who is unable to speak due to a tongue condition. Louise and Ben subsequently accept an invite to spend a weekend at Paddy's home in rural Devon. Louise finds Paddy's behaviour increasingly unsettling, but her concerns are dismissed by Ben, deepening a pre-existing rift between the couple. But when Louise senses Agnes may be in danger, her unease escalates to horror.

What Works Well: This remake of a Danish-Dutch film expertly builds tension through a patient but still ominous opening hour. Director James Watkins leverages an excellent James McAvoy performance to construct a milieu dripping with social awkwardness, where every action may have multiple explanations from friendly to hostile. Subtle gestures, throwaway comments, and quirky behaviours may just be the habits of exciting new friends raising a child with disabilities, or clues about dangerous strangers. The strained bond between Louise and Ben, and the insecurities harboured by their daughter Agnes, add to the spiderweb of emotional fractures. The time for panic, once it arrives, is well-earned.

What Does Not Work As Well: As is common for the genre, some contrived reasons are combined with suspect decision making to swerve past opportunities to escape the horror.

Key Quote:

Paddy: I know we can both be...

Ciara: ...a bit much.



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Movie Review: The Parts You Lose (2019)

Genre: Drama  

Director: Christopher Cantwell  

Starring: Aaron Paul, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Scoot McNairy, Danny Murphy  

Running Time: 94 minutes  

Synopsis: In rural North Dakota, ten-year-old Wesley (Danny Murphy) is a deaf child living on a farm with his mother Gail (Mary Elizabeth Winstead). Wesley is regularly bullied at school, while his gruff father Ronnie (Scoot McNairy) can barely conceal his disdain towards his son. After a violent shooting at a nearby town, Wesley stumbles upon a wounded criminal (Aaron Paul). He hides him in the barn and helps him recover. As a bond develops between the stranger and Wesley, the law closes in, and Ronnie's violent tendencies emerge. 

What Works Well: The wide-open snow-covered plains create a sense of isolation, and director Christopher Cantwell leverages the setting to create a tense and slow-burning drama. Men as a source of danger surround young Wesley, the dad in the house no better than the wounded criminal in the barn. Young Danny Murphy is terrific as a kid navigating an already tough environment with a hearing disability, while Aaron Paul and Scoot McNairy bring suitable menace to the adult roles.

What Does Not Work As Well: The content is both familiar and thin, barely sustaining the 94 minutes of running time. Considerable suspension of disbelief is required to allow for Wesley missing school and avoiding his mother's attention for the long periods he spends with the stranger.

Conclusion: Effectively moody but also close to mundane.



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