Synopsis
Locked up for a minor crime, 19 year old JR quickly learns the harsh realities of prison life. Protection, if you can get it, is paramount. JR soon finds himself under the watchful eye of Australia's most notorious criminal, Brendan Lynch, but protection comes at a price.
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Cast
- Ewan McGregorBrendan Lynch
- Brenton ThwaitesJR White
- Alicia VikanderTasha
- Jacek KomanSam
- Matt NableSterlo
- Tom BudgeJosh
- Nash EdgertonChris
- Damon HerrimanPrivate Wilson
- Eddie BarooMerv
- Marko JovanovićKen
Recommendations
- 75
Entertainment Weekly
Son of a Gun becomes a somewhat predictable but excitingly twisty heist film involving a double-dealing Russian heavy, a desperate femme fatale, and a fortune in gold bars. It has just enough muscle and style to make the familiar feel fresh. - 60
Variety
At least three entertaining films are jostling for position in Australian writer-director Julius Avery’s messily propulsive debut feature, Son of a Gun — and if none ultimately emerges dominant, the red-blooded tussle between them is never dull to watch. - 60
The Dissolve
Bolstered by strong performances and a tight narrative, Son Of A Gun is an admirable debut film from Avery, and a worthy new entry into Australia’s burgeoning class of crime features. - 50
The Playlist
Avery can't commit to whether he's making a gritty "Animal Kingdom"-style crime picture, or a light caper film, and the final result is wonky in the extreme, particularly in the conclusion, which feels particularly muddled. - 50
Village Voice
Like so many meathead action thrillers, it's too busy fogging the windows with hot air to see the big picture. - 50
Movie Nation
The milieu — coastal-industrial Australia — is interesting, with its stoner arms dealers and crazed thugs of every age. But what sells Son of a Gun is McGregor’s presence and performance, a guy using and mentoring a gullible but gutsy young man, trying to impart the wisdom of the wizened con to the kid. - 50
New York Post
Son of a Gun, from first-time feature director Julius Avery, begins with an enticingly dark first act in jail, but descends steadily downward into a mass of clichés. - 40
The Hollywood Reporter
While Avery handles the kinetic action set-piece with impressive swagger for a first-timer, his self-penned screenplay is a major weak point.
