Plot
A reclusive man sets out for justice and redemption when three troublesome teens kill his dog for no good reason.
Release Year: 2008
Rating: 7.1/10 (5,954 voted)
Critic's Score: 61/100
Director:
Trygve Allister Diesen
Stars: Brian Cox, Noel Fisher, Kyle Gallner
Storyline An older, reclusive man's best friend is his dog RED. When three teens kill his dog for no reason, the man sets out for justice and redemption within whatever means possible, legal or otherwise.
Writers: Stephen Susco, Jack Ketchum
Cast: Brian Cox
-
Avery Ludlow
Noel Fisher
-
Danny
Kyle Gallner
-
Harold
Shiloh Fernandez
-
Pete
Kim Dickens
-
Carrie
Marcia Bennett
-
Emma
Richard Riehle
-
Sam
Tom Sizemore
-
Mr. McCormack
Ashley Laurence
-
Mrs. McCormack
Robert Englund
-
Mr. Doust
Amanda Plummer
-
Mrs. Doust
Keith Buterbaugh
-
Dean
Jack Ketchum
-
Bartender
(as Dallas Mayr)
Delaney Williams
-
Gun Shop Manager
Tate Ellington
-
Gun Shop Clerk
Taglines:
They should have told the truth.
Release Date: 3 Jan 2008
Filming Locations: Baltimore, Maryland, USA
Box Office Details
Budget: $2,500,000
(estimated)
Opening Weekend: $3,176
(USA)
(10 August 2008)
(2 Screens)
Gross: $3,176
(USA)
(10 August 2008)
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Did You Know?
Trivia: Lucky McKee was the original director and had been shooting for weeks when he was fired and replaced by Trygve Allister Diesen for unknown reasons. Angela Bettis (a frequent McKee collaborator) was also attached to the project, playing the role of 'Carrie', but was fired and replaced by Kim Dickens for, again, unknown reasons.
Quotes: Avery Ludlow:
My my. My my. You've had yourself quite a day. Quite a day.
User Review
A nuanced story and mesmerizing performance make this a must see
Rating: 8/10
Brian Cox is ranked among the best character actors in the business.
Yet, for all his talent, he's seldom chosen as a leading man, instead
being called upon to fill supporting roles as far ranging as the
original Hannibal Lecter (Manhunter) to William Wallace's dad in
Bravehart and William Stryker in X2, the X-Men sequel, among only a few
of his 134 roles thus far. So it comes as a bit of a surprise to see
him handed the lead in Red, a mini-masterpiece of one man's quest for
justice which screened at the 2008 edition of Montreal's Fantasia film
festival.
Directed by Trygve Allister Diesen and Lucky McKee (May, The Woods),
and based on a story by Jack Ketchum, Red tells the story of aging war
vet Avery Ludlow (Cox), whose only remaining companion after a life of
tragedy, a dog named Red, is brutally killed by a group of teens. Built
upon a remarkably rich, layered and textured script by Stephen Susco
(The Grudge), the story doesn't play out as your simple
paint-by-numbers revenge thriller. Instead, it unfolds slowly and all
too realistically as Ludlow seeks redress, not revenge, from the
wealthy father of two of the boys (Tom Sizemore in full sleaze mode),
only to be rebuffed by parents and legal channels alike. Even when
these attempts fail, Ludlow, ever the civil citizen, tells his story to
the local TV news, and launches a lawsuit against the killers.
Drawing parallels between teen dog killer Danny McCormack (Noel Fisher)
and Ludlow's chilling account of how his own son single handedly
destroyed his family, we're presented with a man whose motivation for
justice is driven in large part by a belated attempt to right the
wrongs of his past. So much so, in fact, that in the absence of his
companion dog, the quest for justice virtually becomes Ludlow's reason
for living, to the point where it practically consumes him.
Cox's performance here is nothing short of breathtaking. He carries
this movie on his back and is in every scene, mesmerizing you with his
nuanced portrayal of a lonely man to whom tragedy has bequeathed a host
of inner demons to torment him in his twilight years.
Don't mistake Red for lesser fare such as Death Wish or The Brave One.
While it is constructed around a fairly simple premise that on the
surface appears primed to appeal to the base human desire for revenge,
the story here is so much more than that, and to give it short shrift
and dismiss it as mere manipulative movie making would be to miss out
on a story and performance that is a true must see.
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