Undertow 2004

views updated

Undertow ★★ 2004 (R)

Overheated southern gothic. Rebellious teen Chris (Bell) lives on a hardscrabble hog farm with widowed dad John (Mulroney) and sickly 10-year-old bro Tim (Alan). Then wicked Uncle Deel (Lucas) shows up, fresh outta prison and with a lot of pentup resentment and anger toward John (seems John's late wife was Deel's gal first). He demands his share of some rare gold coins bequeathed to him and John, which John believes are cursed. Deel goes all Cain and Abel, which forces the younger duo to grab the gold and take off running. Brit boy Bell manages his Southern twang with aplomb. Filmed on location around Savannah, Georgia. 107m/C DVD . US Jamie Bell, Josh(ua) Lucas, Dermot Mulroney, Shiri Appleby, Patricia Healy, Bill McKinney, Alan Devon; D: David Gordon Green; W: David Gordon Green; C: Tim Orr; M: Philip Glass.