Hellion (film)

Hellion (also known as Retribution[2]) is a 2014 American drama film written and directed by Kat Candler. The film stars Aaron Paul as an emotionally absent father of two sons. It also stars Juliette Lewis, Josh Wiggins, Deke Garner, Jonny Mars and Annalee Jefferies.

Hellion
Film poster
Directed byKat Candler
Produced byJonathan Duffy
Andrew Logan
Kelly Williams
Written byKat Candler
StarringAaron Paul
Juliette Lewis
Josh Wiggins
Deke Garner
Jonny Mars
Annalee Jefferies
CinematographyBrett Pawlak
Edited byAlan Canant
Production
company
Across Town Productions
IFC Films
Arts+Labor
Silver Sail Entertainment
Distributed bySundance Selects
Release date
Running time
99 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$55,708[1]

The film premiered in-competition in the US Dramatic Category at 2014 Sundance Film Festival on January 17, 2014.[3][4]

Plot

Thirteen-year-old Jacob's increasing delinquent behavior forces Child Protective Services to place his little brother, Wes, with his aunt. Jacob and his emotionally absent father, Hollis, must finally take responsibility for their actions and for each other in order to bring Wes home.

Cast

Reception

Critical response

Hellion received mixed to positive reviews upon its premiere at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival, although newcomer Josh Wiggins's performance was especially praised. As of July 2020, the film has an approval rating of 59% on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 49 reviews with an average score of 6.22 out of 10.[5] The film also has a score of 55 out of 100 on Metacritic based on 24 critics indicating "mixed or average reviews".[6]

Peter Debruge, in his review for Variety, compared the film with Terrence Malick's 2011 film The Tree of Life and said that "“Hellion” offers a more conventional plot, but that is also its chief limitation, somehow reducing the complexity of its verite character study to relatively straightforward psychology" and praised Wiggins performance by saying that "Newcomer Josh Wiggins steals the show in this verite-style story of an agitated 13-year-old delinquent."[7]

David Rooney of The Hollywood Reporter praised the performances of Paul and Wiggins, in his review he said that "Aaron Paul's wrung-out performance as a widowed blue-collar father who has given up on life, all but abandoning his sons to fend for themselves. And the work of young newcomer Josh Wiggins will turn heads as the most volatile of those two kids, spinning out of control. The actors' raw honesty and the unvarnished authenticity of the Southeast Texas environment lend weight to this slow-burn drama about responsibility, even if its storytelling is unrelentingly downbeat and lacks muscularity."[8]

Matt Goldberg of Collider.com gave the film a positive review by saying that "Despite all of its wandering, loosely tied together stories and uneven pacing, there's an odd sweetness to Kat Candler's Hellion. Rather than broken characters focused solely on self-help and improving their own station, it's an attempt to salvage a family even though that family may be too damaged to repair. Characters who do bad things but are good deep down is undoubtedly saccharine, but it works thanks to Candler's sincere direction and earnest performances from lead actors Aaron Paul and Josh Wiggins."[9]

Rodrigo Perez of Indiewire criticized the film and said that "Admittedly heartbreaking and moving in its final moments, “Hellion” just can’t quite convince or coalesce its ideas of struggle, pain and fury in a meaningful or new way. Our charitable human nature may empathize with everyone's plight, but the recognition that much of its dismal sensibility is far too calculating and predestined is certainly disconcerting" but ultimately praised the cast performance by saying that Hellion, however, does possess strong characteristics in the form of performances—the teenager Josh Wiggins is definitely a stand-out that people will be talking about post-festival, and Juliette Lewis and the boys, Deke Garner, Jonny Mars and Walt Roberts, all deliver authentically convincing turns."[10]

Accolades
Year Award / Film Festival Category Recipient(s) Result
2014 Dallas International Film Festival Narrative Feature Grand Jury Prize Kat Candler Won[11]
Edinburgh International Film Festival Audience Award Kat Candler Nominated[12]
Houston Film Critics Society Awards Texas Independent Film Award Kat Candler Nominated[13]
SXSW Film Festival SXSW Gamechanger Emergent Woman Director Award - Special Mention Kat Candler Won[14]
Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize Kat Candler Nominated[3]
DeadCENTER Film Festival Grand Jury Narrative Feature Kat Candler Won[15]
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References
  1. "Hellion". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved July 10, 2020.
  2. "DVD Review – Retribution (2014)". Retrieved April 8, 2015.
  3. "Aaron Paul discusses 'Hellion,' 'Better Call Saul' and Corn Pops". Archived from the original on January 28, 2014. Retrieved January 28, 2014.
  4. "Sundance red carpet photos, review: 'Hellion' with Aaron Paul". Archived from the original on January 26, 2014. Retrieved January 28, 2014.
  5. "Hellion (2014)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved July 10, 2020.
  6. "Hellion Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved July 10, 2020.
  7. "Sundance Film Review: 'Hellion'". Retrieved January 28, 2014.
  8. "Hellion: Sundance Review". Retrieved January 28, 2014.
  9. "Sundance 2014: HELLION Review". Retrieved January 28, 2014.
  10. "Sundance Review: Bleakness, Anger & Pain Mark 'Hellion' Starring Aaron Paul". Retrieved January 28, 2014.
  11. "Congratulations to the DIFF 2014 winning filmmakers!". Retrieved April 8, 2015.
  12. "Watch all our interviews from the Edinburgh International Film Festival". Retrieved April 8, 2015.
  13. Your Houston News (December 17, 2014). ""Birdman" leads Houston Film Critics nominations for 8th Annual Awards". YourHoustonNews.com. Retrieved December 18, 2014.
  14. "SXSW Film Awards: 'Fort Tilden,' 'The Great Invisible' Win Top Prizes!". Retrieved April 8, 2015.
  15. "Aaron Paul-Starring 'Hellion' Takes Top Honor at deadCENTER Film Festival". Retrieved April 8, 2015.
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