SON OF A GUN

Directors: Julius Avery

Screenplay: Julius Avery, John Collee

Cast: Brenton Thwaites, Ewan McGregor, Alicia Vikander

Rating: 3⁄5

Brenton Thwaites has filmed a variety of genres in a relatively short period of time, and this is his turn to get down and dirty in a prison thriller. Set in Australia, JR (Thwaites) lands himself in jail for a minor crime. Being the fresh, new inmate, he must fend off some unwelcome advances from a group of men with voracious sexual appetites. But before things get worse, young JR catches the attention of Brendan Lynch (Ewan McGregor), Australia’s most notorious criminal, who is supposed to be incarcerated for a lot longer than JR. But this supposed friendship and protection come at a price.

There is a plan in place to break Lynch out of prison, and a man on the outside helping him orchestrate this is crucial. So guess what JR will be doing once he gets out after serving his time? The escape goes smoothly, but things are far from over for those now on the run from the law. It all seems like a pretty great, glamorous life to begin with. The criminal life does indeed have its perks. Shady lawyers make it possible to move money and weapons around, as well as providing a more than comfortable place for them all to stay. There are trust issues however, and loyalties are tested as time goes by.

Making matters more complicated is the introduction of a love interest, probably the least well-written character in the entire film. Tasha (Alicia Vikander) and JR form an incomprehensibly close bond in a very short period of time, one that is forced upon the characters for the sake of the story having something else to concentrate on. Despite the talented young actors that they are, both Thwaites and Vikander cannot sell the blind romance that motivates these young characters, mostly because they have very little to go on.

Everything remains very small in scale. The prison breakout scene, and further action scenes that are shown are done so with minimal flashy effects and with as much focus paid to spending less. It is a welcome change from regularly seeing everything go up in flames, with sequences appearing tighter, more intimate and character-driven.

McGregor keeps his act ambiguous throughout, being the supportive mentor figure when the situation calls for it, but at times letting his fiery temper and inclination towards violence take over, showing the side that most possibly landed him in trouble in the first place. He is a frightening, dominating force not to be taken lightly, and has no problem whipping the young Thwaites into shape.

It is about always staying one step ahead of the game; trying to break free from the toxic clutches of a criminal whilst also surviving to live to tell the tale.

Whether the power couple succeeds or not in doing this is hardly a mystery, but the way they go about putting one up on Brendan is a touch on the flimsy side. It tries to end on a slick, smart note but there is too little of either qualities for it to be considered a satisfactory finish, but overall there is tense fun to be had.