Son of a Gun Movie Review (Spoiler Free)

A gritty Australian crime thriller that blends action with character growth. Though its lead is hard to root for, the film’s bold storytelling and direction make it stand out.

Genre: Action / Crime / Drama / Thriller 

Director: Julius Avery

Cast: Brenton Thwaites, Ewan McGregor, Alicia Vikander, Matt Nable, Jacek Koman, Tom Budge, Nash Edgerton, Damon Herriman, Russel Kiefel & Eddie Baroo.

Run Time: 108 min.

Australian Release: 16 October 2014 US Release: 16 January 2015 (limited)

UK Release: 30 January 2015

German Release: 14 April 2015 (DVD release)

Son of a Gun is a 2014 Australian crime thriller written and directed by Australian filmmaker Julius Avery. This is Avery’s debut motion picture, starring Scottish actor Ewan McGregor and Australia’s young star Brenton Thwaites. Alicia Vikander, Jacek Koman, and Matthew Nable were cast in supporting roles. The movie received mixed reviews from critics and polarised audiences.

Personally, I liked the original approach taken in this premise. Each act was given a different type of genre. The first part of the film depicted a dramatic prison-break escape, while the second segment focused on an action-filled gold heist. The last act was a gangster epic, pitting the two leads against each other, but all three story arcs were linked by the ongoing romance between the characters played by Thwaites and Vikander.

The plot focuses on a 19-year-old convict named JR (Brenton Thwaites), who quickly learns about the harsh environment of prison life. Australia’s public enemy number one, Brendan Lynch (Ewan McGregor), sets a watchful eye over his new protégé but explains to JR that, in exchange for protection, he will need to work for Lynch once he gets out. Upon JR’s release, the young man is tasked with breaking Lynch and his two crewmates, Sterlo (Matthew Nable) and Merv, out of prison, joining Lynch’s gang in the process. In collaboration with a crime lord (Jacek Koman), they plan a gold heist that will earn them a fortune. However, when things go wrong, a deadly game of survival ensues.

The narrative for this movie was great and differed vastly from other crime films. It focused more on the human aspect and the psychology of the characters, never forgetting to include action when needed. This is something I really appreciated, as most crime thrillers nowadays are just strings of constant action sequences with no real analysis of their personas. This feature, however, took its time to tell us about the people we’re dealing with and what kind of individuals they are.

It did have some weak aspects as well, but it was mostly a well-written screenplay, and I really appreciated the fresh approach to the genre, as it breathed new life into the world of crime cinema.

The dialogue was mostly good, sounding very organic and natural. There were just a couple of scenes where it felt a little over the top, especially the conversations involving Jacek Koman, who played syndicate boss Sam Lennox. Those moments came across as a bit clichéd. There were also a few instances where I thought Thwaites delivered his lines a little sloppily, but overall it was a solid and well-directed piece.

The characters were my biggest issue. Most of them were great, but JR (the lead character) was someone I simply could not sympathise with, and that bothered me throughout the film.

Ewan McGregor as Brendan Lynch is brilliant in this gangster epic. He truly dominated the movie and overshadowed the protagonist. I’m not the greatest fan of McGregor; I acknowledge him as one of the better actors, but I don’t usually like the types of characters he portrays. His role in this movie, however, is brilliant: a sleazy, cold-hearted crook who takes JR under his wing and serves as a father figure to the young man. He portrays the role so well, I truly believed him to be that pathetic low-life!

Brenton Thwaites’ character was the weakest point of the movie, and annoying as hell. He showed no respect for what Brendan did for him, frequently threw tantrums, and at times acted like a 16-year-old spoiled girl. I get that he’s in love, but he doesn’t really know the girl, and it all came down to luck, not common sense, that his loyalty to romance saved his life!

As for Alicia Vikander, there is little to say about her performance except that it was amazing. Her persona is sexy, vulnerable, but also very smart and strong-willed. I said it before in my Ex Machina review, and I’ll say it again here.. this actress has great potential!

Jacek Koman overdid it. Yes, his portrayal of a crime boss was threatening, but it was also very cheesy. I was glad he was just a supporting character and had limited screen time.

The cinematography in this movie is good. It features some impressive action scenes, such as the jailbreak and the car chase, which were gorgeously planned and filmed. Avery has an eye for shooting thrilling sequences and did a brilliant job for his debut film. I also liked how he focused on each character during the quieter moments.

The score in this movie was slow, but it did fit the overall tone perfectly and never distracted from the action. In fact, it contributed to the buildup of tension and felt very natural.

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Verdict: Now, as good as this movie was, it had its issues, some in storytelling, some in character writing, but what really nagged me was the character of JR. I simply wasn’t able to understand some of the truly stupid decisions he made, even though they did save him in the end. Having said that, I still think this is one of the better crime thrillers I’ve seen in years, and I therefore give this heist flick a 7.0 out of 10.

What about you? Did you watch this Aussie heist flick yet? If not, go online, to your next rental store or even buy the Blu-ray, sit back & enjoy! It is that entertaining!