Synopsis
In 1931, the Bondurant brothers of Franklin County, Virginia, run a multipurpose backwoods establishment that hides their true business — bootlegging. Middle brother Forrest is the brain of the operation; older Howard is the brawn, and younger Jack, the lookout. Though the local police have taken bribes and left the brothers alone, a violent war erupts when a sadistic lawman from Chicago arrives and tries to shut down the Bondurants operation.
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Cast
- Shia LaBeoufJack Bondurant
- Tom HardyForrest Bondurant
- Gary OldmanFloyd Banner
- Guy PearceCharlie Rakes
- Jason ClarkeHoward Bondurant
- Jessica ChastainMaggie Beauford
- Mia WasikowskaBertha Minnix
- Dane DeHaanCricket Pate
- Lew TempleDeputy Henry Abshire
- Chris McGarryDanny
- 80
The Hollywood Reporter
If Lawless doesn't achieve the mythic dimensions of the truly great outlaw and gangster movies, it is a highly entertaining tale set in a vivid milieu, told with style and populated by a terrific ensemble. - 80
Boxoffice Magazine
Filled to the brim with top-shelf performances from an impressive cast, and with enough well-executed (and often shocking) violence to keep moviegoers of all stripes wide awake, Lawless is a minor classic in the making. - 75
Slant Magazine
Lawless may be full of half-hearted overtures toward depth and emotional complexity, but the film's prestige sheen is mostly a sham; the real focus here is the irrepressible lure of bad behavior. - 70
The New Yorker
One problem with Lawless, though, is that it feels chock-full of entrances that never quite lead anywhere. [3 Sept. 2012, p.78] - 67
The A.V. Club
A thoroughly familiar-but flavorful and rousing-shoot-'em-up set among Prohibition bootleggers. - 63
Chicago Tribune
This should've been a really good picture, especially with Hillcoat's crack ensemble. Instead it's a stilted battle waged between the material and the interpreters. It's up to you, the thirsty customer, to decide who won. - 50
Time
Lawless tries to be flawless; as a movie, it's often listless - lifeless. - 42
IndieWire
Unfortunately, Lawless lacks the same darkly energizing spirit that made "The Proposition" such a revelation: It has plenty of gunplay, scowling showdowns and dust-caked setpieces, but little in the way of dynamic filmmaking to imbue those elements with life.