A very good crime drama, Into the Ashes, hits theaters this weekend and it thrills. I peg it as a sleeper for award consideration as it plays out much like Hell or High Water that was in the top 10 in 2017. I like the cast, direction, the musical score and especially the camera work that tells the backbiting story with tight grisly scenes. If you are a fan of crime thrillers, than this film certainly fits the genre.
Convict Sloan (Frank Grillo) gets released from prison and gets picked up by members of his “family”. He’s happy to get out as he’s got revenge and retribution on his mind. Far from crime Nick Brenner (Luke Grimes), a former member of the “family” has started a new life with his wife Tara Brenner (Marguerite Moreau). Living a simple existence, Nick works in a furniture store’s warehouse and his wife checks out groceries at a local market.
But, things are about to change when Sloan, Charlie (David Cade) and Bruce (Scott Peat) come to town with killing on their mind. Director and writer Aaron Harvey rolls out his film introducing characters at a fast pace. He then turns on all the action and reaction as Sloan and Nick explode leaving a lot of damage in their wake. Just so you know, Harvey uses a edit technique in part of the movie that looks like he left out important content on a particular scene. It all plays out in the end with a little twist.
Actor Frank Grillo turns up the heat with a fierce depiction of Sloan. Scary and brutal, he’ll stop at nothing to get his revenge. Anyone in his way is dead meat and even cops are game. It’s his insidious performance that creates some very exciting scenes and along with Luke Grimes the two make the film work.
As the quarry, Luke Grimes pulls off a performance that looks as dangerous and vicious that one would believe that he’s got good reason to be out for vengeance against Sloan. The two angry men have their chance to end the feud and how it all plays out creates a lot of sparks and fire.
Into the Ashes has not been rated by the MPAA, but contains extreme violence, language, and sex.
FINAL ANALYSIS: A nicely played script that thrills. (4 out of 5 Stars)
Additional Film Information:
Cast: Luke Grimes, Marguerite Moreau, Frank Grillo, Robert Taylor, James Badge Dale, Andrea Frankle, David Cade, Scott Peat,
Directed and written by: Aaron Harvey
Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller
MPAA Rating: Not Rated, violence, language, sex,
Running Time: 1 hr. 38 Min.
Opening Date: July 19, 2019
Distributed by: RJLE Films
Released in: Standard
Writer, critic, film editor John Delia, Sr. has been on all sides of the movie business from publications to film making. He has worked as a film critic with ACED Magazine for more than 20 years and other publications for a total of 40 years. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Florida. John is a member of the Southeastern Film Critics Association and Critics Association of Central Florida Send John a message at jdelia@acedmagazine.com
