When her family’s bar is overdue on payments and at risk of being sold at auction, the owner’s daughter and bartender gets help from an unexpected person and goes to unexpected lengths to keep the bar.
Written and directed by Matthew Yerby for whom this is a first release feature film (he has two more in the pipelines), The Dirty South takes crime as a means of survival and runs with it for a decent result. This film is a bit predictable, following a formula of sort, but it works, so why fix what’s not broken. Yes, it’s predictable, but it’s still entertaining as it goes along. Of course, those looking for big twists, turns, and surprises may be a bit let down if they’ve seen a few films that are similar to this one, but for those willing to just sit down and let the film entertain them, it works.
What makes the film work here is the lead actress Willa Holland. She takes the character of Sue Parker, makes her something of her own, and makes her a fighter in all she does. Her performance here carries the film, often outshining the rest of the, better-known, cast. Playing against her at first and with her later is Shane West as Dion, the type of character he has made his trademark at this point, the bad boy with a heart, the man who comes in and assists even though it’s not his normal style. Once again, don’t fix what isn’t broken. This type of role West does well, and he does well once again. Dermot Mulroney plays the sketchy town rich man who wants the bar just to satisfy some sick need he has. Mulroney plays him a bit slimy, a whole lot skeevy. His character is not supposed to be liked and he very much plays him that way. He gives bad guy through and through. Of course, we get a few peripheral characters here including a little brother for Holland’s character who comes off as her kid at first, something that is more due to the way their scenes go, there’s her father, her ex, her best friend, … Almost every single character here revolves around her and everyone does their job well in terms of acting.
On the technical side, the film looks good, sounds good, the score is not exactly anything to write home about, but it works. The images from cinematography by Jess Dunlap are pretty and the darker scenes are clear and easy to see. It’s a bit of a cookie-cutter film on this front along with editing, set design, and all the other departments, but it’s exactly what the story needed, and it works. It doesn’t particularly stand out, but it’s also right for the needs here.
Look, does this feel like a crime film for the Lifetime Channel crowd? Yes. But is that really a bad thing? Not really. It works here, the film is entertaining, the stakes aren’t all that real when you expect the kind of ending this has, but it works, so sit down, get some basic drink, and enjoy the process.