Shotgun Stories review

One of the year's most blistering US independent releases, Shotgun Stories marks the exciting debut of writer/director Jeff Nichols, who has fashioned a compelling revenge tale set in the backwaters of Arkansas. It's a world largely ignored by filmmakers, and certainly by Hollywood, so it is refreshing to see such an electric piece of cinema breaking new ground.

Nichols' characters - three brothers in their twenties - call to mind Barack Obama's recent comments about bitter small town voters. They eke out petty existences with dreams that are largely futile, and it's a portrayal of working class America that is reminiscent of the first hour of The Deer Hunter.

The family comprises of Son (Michael Shannon), who works in a fish farm and whose girlfriend has just left him due to his gambling habits, Boy (Doug Ligon) who dreams of being a basketball coach and lives in his beat-up camper van, and Kid (Barlow Jacobs) who lives in a tent in Son's yard. The directness of their forenames underlines a different attitude to life in these parts.

When the brothers find out that their estranged father - a drunk who found God and raised a new family - has died, old wounds reopen and a feud begins between them and their half-brothers. Anger is never far from the surface here and when it does come it is quick and shocking.

Nichols keeps everything under tight control, building and building the tension until it finally erupts. He is greatly aided by a convincing cast, with a standout performance by Michael Shannon. There's a lot of talent with a bright future here.

Paul Hurley