This is a present-day Western shoot’em up with plenty of guns, blasts and blood that goes off the rails in all kinds of directions. The guy at the center is Bob Odenkirk as temp Sheriff Ulysses, once again, showing off his action-comedy chops. And there are some long, drawn-out, yet well-choreographed fist and gun fights that get your attention.
Odenkirk wrote this with Derrick Kolstad (Nobody films, John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum) before the Nobody film in 2012 to include lots of action with crime thriller Hitchcock type mystery elements. Shot in Winnepeg, British Director Ben Wheatley (Free Fire, High Rise) worked with Odenkirk and Kolstad’s utilizing their action experience.
Watch our extended interview with Bob Odenkirk and Derrick Kolstad talk about the fun they had working on this together, plus the parallels between comedic timing and choreographed murderous mayhem.
Ulysses is a sad guy, like his namesake from Mythology. He takes on an impossible quest starting over as an interim lawman in a sleepy Midwest town after some bad incident on his previous job and a break from his marriage which is on the rocks. His exploration of this small Minnesota town as their Interim Sheriff introduces him to a menagerie of outwardly friendly townspeople who seem a little strange. The film’s opening scenes show Japanese Yakuza mafia in Osaka, so you know something’s up with that.
Ulysses finds some peculiar things around town. Like the local restaurant is plastered with guns all over the walls. He finds out they’re all loaded and ready to go. Mary Beth, (Megan MacArton), the cute little old lady from the Knitting store has a police radio! His sidekick Mike (Billy MacLellan) is a real home boy with a squeaky leather jacket that is often annoying. The other deputy, Blaine Anderson (Ryan Allen) has attitude, as he’s got his sights on getting the top job as Sheriff, eventually. Taking a break, Ulysses goes to the local bar getting some info about the town along with some more attitude from bartender Moira (Lena Headey-Game of Thrones). He also gets a glimpse at the angry, troubled daughter Alex (Jess McLeod) of the Sheriff he’s temporarily replacing.
When a young couple, Lori and Keith, (Reena Jolly, Brendan Fletcher) desperate for cash, sweep into to town to rob the town bank, they have no idea what they’re about to get into, and uncover. Ulysses tries to defuse the violent situation, while the whole town shows up with guns blazing. Why?The big reveal shows what they’re all protecting. And when angry, belligerent Mayor Kibney (Henry Winkler) shows up, Ulysses guesses there’s a lot more to this town’s story. Winkler as a bad ass Mayor is so unlike the sweetheart actor and children’s book author we know. It’s surprising to see him in this weird role.
Are the good guys really bad, or vice versa? This film becomes a non-stop series of nothing but long gory battles all over town, finally revealing what’s really going on. It’s not great but Odenkirk makes it a fun 90 minutes of mindless, messy mayhem.
Magnolia Pictures 1 Hour 30 Minutes R
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