BRUT FORCE Review: Domestic Terror Brings Conflict, Conspiracy And Violent Consequence In Eve Symington’s New Movie
Good noir thrillers always pack some really great punches. I have to say though, Brut Force takes you right in the gut in one of the film’s opening shots, proceeded by some solid writing and characterization in Eve Symington’s feature debut.
That particular shot is of a grisly nature, indicative of a string of incidents that’s been plaguing the residential community of migrant workers in the small town of Santa Lucia in wine country. After receiving a phone call from Marcos (Julian Daniel Silva), newly fired magazine journalist Sloane (Lelia Symington) ventures out to investigate, reconvening with old friends and loved ones, including stepfather and vineyard owner, Arthur (Sidney Symington).
The incendiaries continue, and with them, Sloane’s steady inquiry, enveloping her even deeper into danger just as Arthur’s employee, Dulce (Vico Escorcia), suddenly disappears. When a man named Tico (Tyler Posey) emerges looking for Dulce, Sloane finds her measured resolve tested, ultimately uncovering hidden agendas and deeper conspiracies all entrenched beneath Santa Lucia’s friendly white façade and sunny allure.
Much of this is ado with Tico and his true identity and origins, leaving Sloane struggling a little more than preferred to find out who her friends and enemies really are. It’s not until a much more troubling revelation is unearthed, forcing Sloane to turn much of her own analysis inward, while fighting to prevent a malevolent business rivalry from ensuing an even darker tragedy.
Ali Helnwein’s original score is one of the first things that sticks out in Symington’s Brut Force, a striking aspect of a story with a bilingual heroine, who is as resilient as she is tough when she needs to be. We get a brief glimpse of that when Sloane’s holding a glass of bourbon and we see her bruised knuckles, and we get a little more of that when she finds herself pitted against a stalker later in the film.
What I love most about the way Sloane is written is that it never forgets to explore some of her more deeper traumas, some of which are family-oriented and in part, explain what’s happened before the events of the movie. The more she involves herself into the goings-on of Arthur’s vineyard and the workers, the more she’s compelled to take another look at her own afflictions and beleaguerment.
Another thing I like is that you never know what the central arc this story is going to take. Brut Force doesn’t ignore the kind of racism and hatred that is so often familiar with rural white America when it comes to migrants, and so you can’t help but factor it in, especially when Sloane eventually crosses paths with the county’s peppy Superintendent, Patty (Tate Hanyok), as well as a few other unsavory neighbors, some of whom she’s known since childhood.
That extenuating, remnant stain of racism goes even deeper when we meet the role of Mariela (Patricia Velásquez), who runs a vineyard just like Arthur. Her gripe goes beyond farming as the film galavants further into the more historical nature of the film’s overall narrative, and we watch as Sloane mitigates this history while keeping in mind that Dulce either may or may not be alive. If she is, then you can’t help but watch as the plot thickens with some brutal results… Pun intended, or not.
By the end, Brut Force has already brought about some sad departures and tragic consequences some of our characters face. Equally, we’re given a impressive look into Symington’s nascent feature directing caliber with a lead actress that brings vitality, charisma and poise to the screen, without question.
Topped with a gritty, slow-brewed story of crime, corruption and omnious intrigue that puts a myriad of things in focus, and with none other than her sibling screen talent front and center, Eve Symington’s Brut Force is a chillingly piquant and terrific thriller worth enjoying, no matter your favorite choice of beverage.
Brut Force arrives on VOD beginning April 21 from XYZ Films.
Native New Yorker. Been writing for a long time now, and I enjoy what I do. Be nice to me!