Death in Texas

Too predictable. Acting weak.

Ouch. Painfully bad movie.

Some movies stretch your credulity, but they usually don't take themselves seriously. Not this one. Its apparently well intentioned sentimentalism is totally eclipsed by its unbelievable plot. The script appears to have been written by a 12 year-old, the dialogue is laugh-out-loud stupid, and the acting is irrelevant because the actors are given so little to work with. It amazes me that movies like this actually get produced and filmed. The story is simple and cliched: A man is released from a Texas prison (his appearance before the parole board is the first clue that you're in for a stupid fest). He goes to his mother's house and gets into a fight with her boyfriend. He discovers that she has liver disease and is way down the list for a transplant. He starts robbing drug dealers to raise $160,000 for a black market liver across the border in Mexico. There's much more, but it's so ludicrous, I won't bother detailing it. Ronnie Gene Blevins plays Billy the ex-con. Laura Flynn Boyle plays his mother. Bruce Dern plays the big time dope dealer. All of these actors are good at their craft, but the script is so lame, they can't do anything to salvage this mess. I watched it to the end (I usually do, just in case a bad movie somehow magically redeems itself), but there was no hope. The film continues inexorably downhill until it reaches a conclusion that is so preposterous, you'll either be slapping yourself or throwing a brick at your screen. Save yourself the self-inflicted injury or damage to your TV and avoid this one. You've been warned. You're welcome.

Great story, terrible execution, then subtract more stars for casting Bruce Dern. Seriously, who's idea was it to cast Dern as some big rich drug lord/gangster? The guy looks and sounds like a drunk bum. I was cringing every time the camera was on him and his straggly hair, and started talking like a drunk. He may have worked in a comedy version of this story. Worst casting decision I've ever seen; that casting agent needs to change careers. Then you have Ronnie Gene Blevins all monotonic and straight faced, looking like he was bored and only there for the paycheck. I struggled to stay awake when most of the focus was on him. The only stand-out and convincing performances were by Lara Flynn Boyle, Stephen Lang and Cher Cosenza. The directing by novice writer and director Scott Windhauser wasn't too bad for a newb, and although the stories concept was amazing, the execution was less desirable. There were many plot and technical issues. Some dialogue was cheesy and/or unnecessary. It lacked any type of action. Why just show flashes of him and the bouncer? Some nice exciting action would've been refreshing to give the audience someone to route for - and struggle less staying awake. The pacing needed improvement, as the 101 min runtime felt much longer. The score was actually not bad for a B-film, but I had some issues with the sound, as some dialogue sounded muffled and illegible. It's a shame, because this story had lots of potential, had it been cast properly with some tweaks to the screenplay. So never mind all the bogus high reviews, it's a generous 6/10 from me.

The bad guy was bad, but turned it to be a good dude. The other bad guys were just bad! You have to pay attention at the beginning to catch all the twists that are coming your way (or lay off the Ranch Waters before the movie!) Story line is solid. Will watch again and recommend to friends but not family.

Death in Texas is that rare find of a thought provoking action film. It has all the earmarks of a gritty crime story but manages to intertwine the action with a drama about the human dilemmas of choice, relationships and the gray area of real life, not Hollywood, morality. Independent movies will often cast a name actor, usually well past their prime, for a cameo appearance to help get the film made and marketed. Death in Texas was able to attract a full roster of multiple long-time actors with skills well intact and support them with solid up and coming talent, a clever script and strong directing to create a story that keeps you entertained, on edge and pondering the underlying themes well after you've paused the credits to find the names & filmographies of all the new and familiar faces.

At first glance, it would be easy to mistake this for just another movie about cops, criminals, drugs, and corruption on the U. S. - Mexican border. It's more than that. It starts off largely alternating between two almost completely separate storylines. Then those story lines merge or more accurately collide and the movie really starts hitting its mark all the way to its finish. So, yes there are cops, criminals, drugs, and corruption in this movie. But in the end its really more about family and redemption. The cast was excellent. I particularly enjoyed the performances by Laura Flynn Boyle and Ronnie Blevins.

I loved this film. The cinematography and the acting was incredible. I was invested in the story and enjoyed every minute of it even the twist at the end. Watch is and find out for yourself. Ronnie Gene Blevins was great in the lead role and Mike Foy and Stephen Lang were my other favorites in the film.

What a fun ride! Great cast! Explosive action and edgy characters set against a moral struggle to do one last good thing before your time is up. Death in Texas is as hot as the pico at the cantina, so if you're gonna take a shot, make it a double.

Amazing flick! Boyle, Lang, and Blevins knock the cover off the ball! Must see for 2021!!