R.i.p. Steven Stifler, Sean Will Scott has effectively killed him. Of course Scott played the lovable lout Stifler back in the American Pie films and the persona has kind of stuck with him, until now that is. His performance here is far from perfect but it's still Scott like you never seen him before. He is focused. He is determined. He is deadly. Mariela Garigga and Dale Dickey as the wife and mother turn in good performances in what turns out to be the film's greatest strength. But is it a great movie?
No, it's not. The real problem here is director Henry Jacobson, who normally helms documentaries. While this adds some grit it also means the film almost feels like it's played out in vignettes. Evan (Scott) is mentally tormented by the arrival of his newborn and his mother moving in to help so that Evan needs to kill. Who better to kill but the Child abusers and rapist family members of the teenagers he councils? It's like this: Evan talks to a student and hears about horrific abuse, Evan goes home to his chaotic life, Evan tracks down THAT child's perpetrator and roundly tortures them. Repeat twice. The drab camera work and laid back film style are both a boon and hindrance.
Director Jacobson holds nothing back including (unexcessive) blood and gore and a FULL ON view of Evan's baby being born that is still burnt into my retinas. Some may cringe at the grit but all but the birth scene works quite well. The whole affair almost feels like a 1980's TV movie of the week and I was ready to slap a 3/5 on this baby until I got to the ending... Holy hell, I loved it! Unexpected and dark as it gets, so good it brought my rating up to a 3.5/5. You hit a double, Scott...next time hit it out of the park!!!
3.5/5