Featured Audience Ratings

• Emil K

  
  Shotgun Stories is a fresh and atmospheric debut feature from talented Jeff Nichols whose second film Take Shelter has made him into a one of the most original voices of modern cinema. While his debut may lack those great virtues which Take Shelter has, there is still no denying that… More
  Shotgun Stories is a fresh and atmospheric debut feature from talented Jeff Nichols whose second film Take Shelter has made him into a one of the most original voices of modern cinema. While his debut may lack those great virtues which Take Shelter has, there is still no denying that this is in it's own way admirable job. There are clear similarities between these both films and those similarities are most evident in the film's overall mood, style and most of all the underlying biblical themes they share. This is an interesting aspect to see. With Shotgun Stories those themes are not as visualized as they were in Take Shelter. Here they lie in themes and characters. But to call neither of these films religious films would be an mistake. These are most of all films about us humans and the characters in Nichols' films are no superheroes, they are mostly ordinary people facing extreme situations in their life. Shotgun Stories is a film like that. It tells a story about various people and how anger and hate leads into violence. And everybody knows that if violence comes in that is when the troubles really start. Shotgun Stories has a relaxed pace and Nichols has no interest in creating tension too much. There are sudden moments of unexpected violence and some tense scenes, but the way they are handled is much more sophisticated than we are used to see in most of the films. I still think that film's slow pace might be a bit too slow for it's own good and even with it's compact 90-minute running time Shotgun Stories feels a surprsingly long film. There are themes and characters that needed certainly more flesh on their bones also and overall impact ends up being emotionally quite flat. But even with it's shortcomings it is an ok film and promising debut. Nothing special maybe but at least it does prove that Nichols has a voice of his own as a director.

• c0up  

  
  'Shotgun Stories'. As far as revenge tales go, this small scale, deeply personal affair is up there with the best of them. Jeff Nichols manages to pack in an insane amount of character development, unease and rich dialogue in 90 tight minutes that a lot of films would have… More
  'Shotgun Stories'. As far as revenge tales go, this small scale, deeply personal affair is up there with the best of them. Jeff Nichols manages to pack in an insane amount of character development, unease and rich dialogue in 90 tight minutes that a lot of films would have trouble doing in twice the time. The mundanity of rural life, the bonds between brothers, the ever-increasing tension, all played out in perfect harmony. Michael Shannon is once again a fitting leading man. Gosh I love his gangly walk and the emotions the expressions his face can create! There are no heroes or villains here. Just people doing what they truly believe is the best thing for their loved ones. That's what makes it all the more tragic.

• Mark W

  
  In 2011, relatively unknown writer/director Jeff Nichols took a lot of people by surprise when he delivered one of the best films of the year in "Take Shelter". However, four years prior to that he had already made his debut with Shotgun Stories which was a film that shared… More
  In 2011, relatively unknown writer/director Jeff Nichols took a lot of people by surprise when he delivered one of the best films of the year in "Take Shelter". However, four years prior to that he had already made his debut with Shotgun Stories which was a film that shared a similar downbeat tone. Despite being seen by very few, this impressive debut showed a strong ability from this new director. In the back roads of South East Arkansas, three close brothers, Son (Michael Shannon), Boy (Douglas Ligon) and Kid (Barlow Jacobs) hear the news of their estranged fathers death. They attend the funeral if only to relate their vehement hatred of the man as he abandoned them in their youth and started a new family. As result of this, their fathers other sons (and half brothers to them) get involved in a feud that reaches dangerous and deadly proportions. I always find it quite interesting watching the debut of a director you admire, especially when you've been introduced to them at a later date and find yourself looking back at their earlier material just to see where they honed their skills. In this case, it's easy to where Jeff Nichols is coming from. Like "Take Shelter", this film starts off at a deliberate pace. It's in no hurry to tell it's story and favours a slow approach to build up it's characters and the mundane lifestyles they lead. It may be a little slow for some but the story here is all very deliberate and naturally handled. Nichols certainly has an eye for small town America and with help from cinematographer Adam Stone, he effectively captures the vast emptiness of the town which also reflects in the emptiness of the characters' lives. Everything about this film is subtle and understated but all the more brooding and effective for it. Performance wise, there are some faults with the lesser known actors but as always, Shannon delivers a solid show and with scars on his back that resemble shotgun shells, it only serves to fuel the films enigmatic nature and understated detail. When the feud between the half brothers takes hold, the muted first half of the film turns to one of tension as it reaches tragic Shakespearean heights that's handled very impressively and never succumbs to formula. By this, there lies the question on whether the denouement will be as satisfactory as it could be but Nichols' handling is undeniably good and it makes for an impressive debut from him. It's not quite as good as "Take Shelter" but this is a director that has started strongly, backed it up with one of the best film's of 2011 and I believe will continue to go from strength to strength - time will tell with his forthcoming film "Mud" released later in 2012. Like "Take Shelter", Nichols dealt with events that had almost biblical proportions and when looking at this you can see that he shares a similar theme. This is a highly accomplished debut from one the most exciting new directors to reach our screens.

• Matthew S

  
  A masterpiece of the rural southern U.S. and the nearly uncontrollable, circular nature of violence and prejudice.

• paul o

  
  You can tell that Jeff Nichols loves Days of Heaven! This film bleeds complexity in its simple characters and shows off its cinematography. The downside is that Nichols cuts out any trace of action that may entertain a mainstream audience. For film makers and lovers of a deep… More
  You can tell that Jeff Nichols loves Days of Heaven! This film bleeds complexity in its simple characters and shows off its cinematography. The downside is that Nichols cuts out any trace of action that may entertain a mainstream audience. For film makers and lovers of a deep character studies, this film is classic.

• paul s

  
  an interesting story that slowly developes amidst the cotton fields of rural Arkansas, Shotgun Stories is a tale of deepseated hatred and its eventual effects on the lives of two intertwined families. The drama and tension escalate with each encounter following the death of the man… More
  an interesting story that slowly developes amidst the cotton fields of rural Arkansas, Shotgun Stories is a tale of deepseated hatred and its eventual effects on the lives of two intertwined families. The drama and tension escalate with each encounter following the death of the man who fathered both families (having walked out on the first, and then, finding religion, turned his life around - which does the first set of boys no good whatsoever). Raised to hate the "other" family by a cold hearted mother, the boys seem as listless as the dying town around them - unable to get past their torturous upbringing. A powerful performance by Shannon as Son, the eldest of the clan; an intelligent man with some serious flaws. The film is compelling in spite of the numerous fades to black; and the pacing tells the story at it's own southern drawl of a pace - and yet it succeeds for those same reasons. The middle son finally has had enough and ends the feud, reasoning that they all have family that they don't want to lose (and lives, for that matter, although in Boy's case you'd have to use that term very loosely). The malaise is almost palpable, and equally as important a statment as the feud that compels the action. The scene that kind of says it all concerning this film, comes when Son drives up to his mother's house and matter of factly tells her of the death of her youngest. She has no reaction whatsoever, as if she never cared about her children at all. Sensing this, Son lays the blame at her feet, telling her that it was she who raised her boys to hate the other family, and it has brought nothing but sorrow and destruction.

• Luke B

  
  Shotgun Stories is a sadly ignored film. Though it treads similar paths as many revenge films, Shotgun Stories is the quiet one nobody notices. Like all good revenge films it shows the tragic escalation of violence and the terrifying cyclical nature of it. Unlike other revenge films… More
  Shotgun Stories is a sadly ignored film. Though it treads similar paths as many revenge films, Shotgun Stories is the quiet one nobody notices. Like all good revenge films it shows the tragic escalation of violence and the terrifying cyclical nature of it. Unlike other revenge films it is a subtle masterpiece. To see a film that makes you feel the emotions and relate to characters without any noticeable manipulation or build up is a testament to such great film making. No dramatic music or quick cuts. The actors say realistic things in realistic ways and we can perfectly empathise with both sets of brothers. Reminiscent of All the Real Girls in the way it treats as though the audience as grown ups.

• Tim S

  
  What a pussy of a revenge film! Look, I support idependent film as much as the next guy. Guy makes a movie for $500 on his cell phone, hoorah, go get 'em, I appreciate what you are doing. But from the looks of the cast (I don't get this Micheal Shannon fetish people have)… More
  What a pussy of a revenge film! Look, I support idependent film as much as the next guy. Guy makes a movie for $500 on his cell phone, hoorah, go get 'em, I appreciate what you are doing. But from the looks of the cast (I don't get this Micheal Shannon fetish people have) and the cinematography, it looks like they had some money, so why the fuck couldn't they get some decent sound and at least one more guy who knew something about acting to fill in for the rest of the director's family members. The story started out as pretty interesting, but then falls flat. And everybody knows that the best basketball player to come out of Arkansas is Joe Johnson, you dipshits, not Corliss fucking Williamson.

• Walter M

  
  [font=Century Gothic]In "Shotgun Stories," Son's(Michael Shannon) wife Annie(Glenda Parnell) has left him again due to his gambling. So, Son invites his brother Kid(Barlow Jacobs) in from a tent in the yard that he had been living in, so at least he can sleep on the… More
  [font=Century Gothic]In "Shotgun Stories," Son's(Michael Shannon) wife Annie(Glenda Parnell) has left him again due to his gambling. So, Son invites his brother Kid(Barlow Jacobs) in from a tent in the yard that he had been living in, so at least he can sleep on the couch, now that he does not have to face her disapproval. Son also makes a point of asking his other brother Boy(Douglas Ligon), a youth basketball coach, if he would also like to sleep at his house instead of his van. None of this makes Annie happy when she returns. What makes Son happy is the news that his father has died. Of course, he has a funny way of showing this at his funeral by spitting at the coffin, infuriating his father's second family to no end.[/font] [font=Century Gothic]"Shotgun Stories" is a frustrating movie in that it has some good thoughts about family and the sins of the father coming back to haunt the next generation but the filmmaker does not have the skills to fully articulate his vision. The running question about mysterious scars was old when it was skewered in "The Big Fix" in 1978. And I am starting to have serious doubts about Michael Shannon's acting range. [/font] [font=Century Gothic]In trying to depict small town life in Arkansas, the movie relies on redneck stereotypes instead of creating three dimensional characterizations. All of the circumstances result from stupidity instead of economics.(Remember that Arkansas also gave us J. William Fulbright.) Son(notice the brothers' name) is the best off of his brothers, working full time at a fish hatchery, with a wife and a son, but he is still not smart enough to know when it comes to gambling, the house always wins in the end.[/font]

• Jeffrey M

  
  It occasionally suffers from its overly leisurely pace, but all in all there's a ton to admire in Shotgun Stories. The cast, spearheaded by the immensely talented Michael Shannon, is excellent, able to create a sense of sustained tension. Director Jeff Nichols (of Take Shelter… More
  It occasionally suffers from its overly leisurely pace, but all in all there's a ton to admire in Shotgun Stories. The cast, spearheaded by the immensely talented Michael Shannon, is excellent, able to create a sense of sustained tension. Director Jeff Nichols (of Take Shelter fame) creates a very realistic atmospheric tone, giving the film a strong, albeit muted, dramatic quality. I also really appreciated the nuanced approach the film took on portraying the dynamics between the two families. Very strong debut for Nichols. 4/5 Stars

• Christopher H

  
  Even if Michael Shannon is the only seasoned actor in Jeff Nichols' "Shotgun Stories", this subtle drama is stilled pulled off effectively, delivering the actual tone of small town, rural life. Based around a feud between two sets of sons fathered by the same… More
  Even if Michael Shannon is the only seasoned actor in Jeff Nichols' "Shotgun Stories", this subtle drama is stilled pulled off effectively, delivering the actual tone of small town, rural life. Based around a feud between two sets of sons fathered by the same alcoholic-turned-Christian man, the violence is made more realistic by the downplayed nature of it all. If casually watching the film, the depth of the dialogue is lost. Produced by David Gordon Green and exhibiting the same slowly paced and real life concoctions of Green, Nichols directs a commendable first feature film of his career.

• Daniel D

  
  Jeff Nichols is a fine young director, this and Take Shelter (also with veteran actor Michael Shannon) are great. Mud could also be good. I planned to watch this over two day but I got sucked in. Its an amusing piece of work, with sub par performances, in this movie of family rivalry.… More
  Jeff Nichols is a fine young director, this and Take Shelter (also with veteran actor Michael Shannon) are great. Mud could also be good. I planned to watch this over two day but I got sucked in. Its an amusing piece of work, with sub par performances, in this movie of family rivalry. The tension builds, and while both families are trash, you'll figure out what side you'll take early. The film tied to show both sides but it was certainly biased. That might've made it better though.

• Alec B

  
  It's tremendously slow approach creates some remarkable scenes that feel totally real. So many of the conversations are just so ordinary you'd think you were watching a documentary. It's a mistake to say that the movie is about forgiveness or vengeance in the normal… More
  It's tremendously slow approach creates some remarkable scenes that feel totally real. So many of the conversations are just so ordinary you'd think you were watching a documentary. It's a mistake to say that the movie is about forgiveness or vengeance in the normal sense of the words. One family had a cruel father who abandoned them, the other had a kind religious father. Both of these fathers are the same man. One hates him, the other adores him. His death upsets each family's lives to a point were all their bitterness and anger come out in tremendously destructive ways. I wouldn't call it a perfect film, but I can't wait to see what Jeff Nichols does next as a director.

• Christopher B

  
  Outstanding revenge drama with excellent understated performances, especially Shannon. Like a modern Hatfield and McCoy showing the consequences and futility of revenge. Highly recommended.

• matt s

  
  Has some powerful scenes and just good straight-ahead storytelling. But the cold emotions didn't feel cold, they just felt pawned off due to the lacking cast. Don't get me wrong I love me some Barlow Jacobs, but I couldn't figure out if Michael Shannon was a badass or… More
  Has some powerful scenes and just good straight-ahead storytelling. But the cold emotions didn't feel cold, they just felt pawned off due to the lacking cast. Don't get me wrong I love me some Barlow Jacobs, but I couldn't figure out if Michael Shannon was a badass or doing a Michael Biehn impression.

Read all 15 featured audience ratings