Cook County (2011)

38% of critics liked it
(13 reviews)
85% of users liked it
(353 ratings)

Living in a small town and amongst a house full of crystal meth abusers, seventeen year-old Abe (Ryan Donowho) wrestles to beat an addiction to meth and struggles to protect himself and his young niece from an abusive Uncle Bump (Anson Mount). When Sonny (Xander Berkeley) returns home from prison… More Living in a small town and amongst a house full of crystal meth abusers, seventeen year-old Abe (Ryan Donowho) wrestles to beat an addiction to meth and struggles to protect himself and his young niece from an abusive Uncle Bump (Anson Mount). When Sonny (Xander Berkeley) returns home from prison seeking redemption from his son, Abe, the two must navigae the treacherous waters created by Bump, who will do almost anything to maintain a dangerous lifestyle fueled by crystal meth. The tension and suspense build up to an electrifying ending where harrowing choices are made by all three men leading each of them to a different fate. -- (C) Official Site

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Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 33 min.
Directed By: David Pomes
Written By: David Pomes
Genres: Drama

In Theaters: Dec 16, 2011 Limited
Studio: Hannover House

Critic Reviews

Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News
There's rarely a point when we believe in any of these characters, the bleakly romanticized setting or their increasingly ugly story.
Kyle Smith, New York Post
Meth addicts at least can qualify for treatment; where, though, is the rehab facility for indie directors addicted to making ugly little movies about wretched little losers?
Jeannette Catsoulis, New York Times
What we need is for the writer and director, David Pomes, to wallow less in aimless dialogue and lowlife sordidness. What we need is a point.
Nick Pinkerton, Village Voice
Rather than viewing moral chaos from the eye of a storm, director David Pomes watches his movie blow off into the storm itself.
David Rooney, Hollywood Reporter
Debuting writer-director David Pomes brings grimy authenticity and a sustained sense of dread to this bleak but well-acted drug drama.
Joe Leydon, Variety
This rough-edged, low-budget drama impresses with spot-on performances, perfect-pitch dialogue and an overall sense that something bad might happen at any moment, unless something worse happens first.
Mark Bell, Film Threat
Cook County excels primarily due to the acting merits of Anson Mount. Mount portrays Bump as one of the more menacing, and yet pathetic, drug dealers ever to grace cinema.
David Noh, Film Journal International
Strictly recommended for those dying to watch crystal meth addicts being, well, crystal meth addicts, with every attendant horror. Anyone?
Brent Simon, Shockya.com
A gritty, pungent drama with some nicely attuned performances; the rank aroma of frantic hopelessness can almost be smelled coming off the screen.
Alison Willmore, AV Club
Its almost-gleeful horrorshow quality comes with the tinge of exploitation. Misery begets more misery, but to what end?
Philip Martin, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Pomes is honest about why people do drugs. Bump does drugs because drugs feel good. They raise him up from the squalor that is his existence. Meth energizes him, makes him feel alive and powerful ...
Sam Adams, Time Out New York
Pomes squeezes in a few well-observed details among the recycled white-trash clichés...
Nick Schager, Slant Magazine
Cook County trades in a particular type of backwoods grime that might be dubbed "redneck junkie chic."