Transpecos (2016) User Reviews

Surprisingly Decent

[Enthusiastic_Viewer · 6/10 · 17 February 2017]

First thoughts were, this is gonna be a low budget, lackluster film, without any big-time actors. Luckily, I was wrong. It's by no stretch of the imagination great. I could hardly call it good even, but there's just something about it that kept me intrigued.

With the exception of Clifton Collins jr., who I really first noticed in the experiment, I didn't really recognize any other actor. After a couple name searches, I remembered Gabriel Luna from Harley and the Davidsons. I've seen quit a few movies johnny Simmons has started in but he just doesn't stand out to me.

Plot was good. Story line was good enough to keep me interested. Felt like there were a lot of "are you serious" moments. Especially in Gabriel Luna's part. Can't say what I'd have done in his shoes but I'd like to think it's not what he done. Also felt like the ending was rushed and then they realized they still had 15 minutes of film left or something so let's just throw something in there to wrap this up.

Overall a pretty decent watch. Not something to write home to the family about but a little hidden gem if you will amongst over-hyped films that fall short.

He can't call it in

[nogodnomasters · 6/10 · 25 July 2017]

This is the story of three border checkpoint guards who operate on a lonely highway in remote New Mexico, one without a wall or fence. Lou Hobbs (Clifton Collins Jr.) is the politically incorrect senior member of the three, sometimes called Mr. A--hole. Lance Flores (Gabriel Luna) speaks Spanish and is an expert tracker in the desert. He is training Benjamin Davis (Johnny Simmons) who is catching on fast. We see them at work and talking as we get character build up for 15 minutes when a car runs the check point and all hell breaks loose. The film has good characters with shifting trust and goals. Mexican undocumented/illegal (circle the term for your political leanings) immigrants are shown as either being very good people or outlaws. Michelle Rodriguez doesn't take her clothes off...in fact she wasn't even in the film. It was basically three guys in the desert looking for...trying not to get caught.

Guide: F-word. No sex or nudity.

small indie does good work

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 29 August 2017]

Benjamin Davis (Johnny Simmons), Lance Flores (Gabriel Luna), and Lou Hobbs (Clifton Collins Jr.) are US Border Patrol working a remote stretch of desert. They find a stash of drugs in a car but Davis turns on the others. He had been pressured by the cartel to help them smuggle the drugs.

This is a small indie with a limited production. It's able to use the desert locations to full advantage. It needs more action to amp up the tension. It runs at a nice low-boil but I kept waiting for more instances of boiling over. Clifton is great as always although the other two could improve. Their characterization needs to be sharper. This indie does some good and worthy work.

Don't Think Too Hard About What's Wrong

[palainausa · 6/10 · 7 April 2018]

To the other reviewers who pointed out the movie's storyline flaws: is this the first movie you've every seen? It's the nature of the beast. To those who mocked the acting: two out of three ain't bad. Didn't like the pacing? It's hot in the desert (and a cinematogrpaher's dream). Go slow.

I wanted to watch a movie before bed. I passed on this one because of the reviews and went to a more "sophisitcated" choice. Five minutes later, I was back to Transpecos. That's usually all it takes me to know if I want to watch a movie or not. Next thing you know, it was well past midnight. Overall, a very good watch.

Turned out to be quite good...

[paul_haakonsen · 6/10 · 17 June 2018]

"Transpecos" was a movie that I wasn't even familiar with prior to finding it. I picked it up and was somewhat intrigued by the synopsis. But it was actually more of the cast that won me over, and I decided to watch it.

This is a wholesome entertaining movie, with a storyline that had some appeal and some depth to it.

It was definitely the amazing performances by Clifton Collins Jr., Gabriel Luna and Johnny Simmons that kept the movie interesting.

The storyline in "Transpecos" was somewhat predictable though, but straightforward and entertaining enough.

I can warmly recommend that you take the time to sit down and watch "Transpecos" if you haven't already seen it. I was genuinely surprised and entertained by what I saw here.

Disappointed

[Sicknology · 4/10 · 16 September 2016]

I was really looking forward to watching this after viewing the trailer, add that to the fact I like Clifton Collins Jr acting.

It's a slow burn but usually i like this kind of film, it's just disappointing that the story was feeble and had so many 'what did he do that for?!" moments. The trailer is the film because the rest of the story really makes no sense and could have been written a lot better.

Up to the moment when the Officer makes his big story changing line 'He can't call it in' it was going rather well, the setting was interesting and the acting was spot on. But this is where it ended for me, it crumbled into a mess of scenes that seemed to be thrown in just to finish the film.

A 4 out of 10 at most.

Much Ado about Nothing

[MovieIQTest · 13 May 2017]

So....just tell me, what's the purpose of making this pointless movie, huh? The whole story most of the time felt like a chicken whose head was chopped off but it didn't realize yet, so still running around in circle aimlessly until all the blood drained, then died finally. These two guys driving around in the wildness in Texas....for what? Looking here and there, then got ambushed finally as they would have expected, looking for the mailbox in the middle of nowhere for what?

The cinematography is good, desert wildness looks beautiful but at the same time, very cruel and vicious. The screenplay writer(s) at first seemed to have something to tell, but then seemed totally lost and didn't know how to continue, so just shot the film without any direction. We didn't see any justice was ever served, Mexican drug cartel? Yeah, just some words in the meaningless dialog. The survived Border Patrol guy was rescued by some illegal immigrants, yet those good Mexicans were cuffed after the guy was rescued, so where's the justice? An incident report was crossed out line by line then brushed under the carpet, the survived guy even had a choice either to stay put or transferred to the north border....So tell me, what's the purpose of making this film? I finally found out that I was one the headless chickens blindly following these border patrol morons in the wildness. I've tried very hard to see if there's anything really worth seeing out of it, but in the end, just turned out NADA.

Compelling Indie Thriller from the US.

[t-dooley-69-386916 · 6/10 · 4 August 2017]

We meet three US Border Guards who are patrolling the Southern Border. They are Flores, Davis and the surly Hobbs. Davis is sort of new and a bit green around the ears etc They are doing a routine road check on a dusty stretch of New Mexico desert. The one vehicle rattles up and what it contains will set all there of them on a very different paths as to how they cope with kit.

Now to say anymore would ruin the plot. This is a film that trades on the twists to a large extent but at the same time is well rounded enough to be the sort of film you could watch again and get more from it – that is an accomplishment.

It is violent in parts and deals with some of the nastier issues to do with the Cartels and other aspects of cross border crime. At its heart though is the very human way we respond to threats and what life throws at you. The acting is all to the high end as is the cinematography which takes the arid desert and manages to make it a thing of beauty whilst managing to keep the tension ramped up. It is in English, Spanish and a touch of Mayan with a run time of 82 minutes. This is an indie film but suffers not an iota for that and is one for those who like realism with their grit and a such is one I can recommend.

Too many WTF moments

[tjdercks · 2/10 · 5 February 2017]

Good acting and beautiful scenery get overwhelmed by unbelievable story ...

To list a few things that 'spoiled' this for me:

1) If you have a 3 man border crossing, and bribe/blackmail only one guard, make sure it is the one who can override the other 2. Otherwise, your odds of getting things through are less than 1/3. Especially, when you choose the most junior guy.

2) I thought of the adage, 'I could beat you up with one arm tied behind my back'. A man with a freshly broken arm, can not balance his weight while choking someone. Roll him off of you!

3) If you know Drug Lords kill Border Guards (with pipe wrenches and pushing off cliffs). Why does the hero want to go to a drop-off? To arrest them? (better off with backup) Kill them? (better off with backup) Reason with them? (seems unlikely; more likely you will be killed and they will take the drugs)

4) How do you expect to have a successful drop-off driving a Border Patrol truck while still in uniform? Why not drive the mules car?

5) Once the hero knocks out the guy, why does he not call it in? His lack of radioing for help, leads to the death of his fellow officer. After not calling it in, how is the hero not, at least, kicked off the force?

6) When the pick up guy tells you to head down a road, and a boy appears in the middle of that road, how do you not think it is a trap?

7) Why throw the drugs out of the truck? You need the drugs for any hope of a resolution with Drug Lord. Why not go back and pick them up?

8) If you believe the premise, that they drop the drugs off and everything will be OK. Once you get to the drop-off, and you are spotted, why continue? The pick up guy is going to phone in that 2 Border Patrol were at the drop-off. The charade is over. Tio is immediately going to order your family killed. He is not going to wait until they get in protective custody.

9) Why not leave the drugs with the pick up guy?

10) When you open fire with an automatic weapon on 3 guys ... the only one to die is the one with the bulletproof vest?

11) That Border Patrol truck has GPS ... track it

12) Who would want to be partners with the hero after this? You know he let his last partner bleed to death to 'maybe' (threats are not always carried out) protect someone else's family, and Tio is clearly going to want revenge for losing half is drugs.

13) Throw the drugs in the river and a ferry will pick them up?!?! Maybe if they were bright orange ... but to cover an entire river would require a lot of boats and men walking on shore.

Finally, if I am ever shot, I hope the people with me, continuously apply pressure to the wound (which I never saw them do; a tourniquet to the waist is a waist), and if I say, 'just let me die' ... they say, 'You will be OK' and call for help. Do not let the person with lack of oxygen to the brain, make the decisions.

MailBox

[kstme-83609 · 6/10 · 6 December 2020]

How did they NOT open the mailbox. Well acted movie, had a nice indie flare to it.

Very much a "what would you do"

The movie spiraled out of control

[leefoo-1 · 3/10 · 14 April 2017]

After Davis took the other guards hostage, it was just one unbelievable scene after another.

At no time did I believe Flores would do the things he did. Especially after he knocked out Davis and got the gun (and even up until then, there were too many WTFs)

The acting was solid, but the script was just awful.

It was just one unbelievable scene after another.

And then the tacked on poor ending wrapped it all up.

The 5.8 rating is a little high, imo.

Has a gritty realism to it that is hard maintain if not done well...this was!

[rbchill-875-19986 · 9/10 · 22 September 2016]

Just had to say something about this movie.

Rarely have I encountered a film, let alone the first major film of a director, where stark realism can project such meaningful and unexpected dialogue. This is the kind of film that some won't appreciate because, at times, scenes appear 'convoluted' or illogical. However, from beneath these seemingly illogical scenes arises a continuity that is as refreshing as it is unpredictable, and from seemingly illogical actions imparts a strong feeling of authenticity. This is the hallmark of realism, and Director/Producer/Writer Greg Kwedar understands this.

When one of the Border Patrol Agents (BPA) first pulls his gun against his fellow agents you know something sinister is at work. But most scenes after this don't happen quite the way one would expect. BPA Flores thinks he can fix the situation but finds out he can't; BPA Hobbs thinks guilt rests entirely with BPA Davis (the agent who first pulled the gun) but as the plot unwinds we begin to understand that this isn't really the case; and Davis(?), well he realizes that he was 'cursed' all along.

The unpredictable nature of circumstance is always at play and always rings true. The scene in the garage with the cartel employed 'bad guy' who doesn't turn out to be so bad, the way Hobbs dies, the illegal immigrants who choose to give up their freedom to help dying Flores, the scene in the Border Patrol office where everything gets swept under the carpet...none of these things were expected but they all add up to an experience that, along with everything else, yields a truly remarkable and authentically realistic film.

Arghhh! Hand Held Cameras Ruin This!

[tandc-53810 · 2/10 · 15 November 2019]

We turned this movie off after 15 minutes. The director went nuts with jerky, jiggly, bumpy scenes from hand-held cameras - even when the characters are merely talking and conversing. This is ART and ENTERTAINMENT??!! Trust me. You'll get carsick watching this movie.

Don't watch this stuff and maybe Hollywood will get the message; HIRE PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHERS.

Pointless waste of time

[jimludwig · 2/10 · 18 October 2019]

My wife and I kept hoping for more of a movie than was there.

Wish Io could give it a zero

[headset-56796 · 1/10 · 28 June 2020]

The plot is horrendous. Border guard is involved in drug trade and is unwillingly assisted in his criminal venture by coworker who had numerous opportunities to stop him and allow justice to take its course but chose not to which resulted in another coworker being killed. I don't usually write reviews but I had to because this movie was so horrible. Can't say how bad this movie is.

I can't call it in

[chittychitty-28975 · 3/10 · 21 April 2020]

Everything was going swimmingly until the border agent declared he couldn't call it in. And I never figured out why not. The movie came unglued there and fell apart. Never did find out what was going on. I backed out at the point and found another movie.

drug deal gone bad

[cdcrb · 8/10 · 13 September 2016]

three u.s. border guards in a desolate part of new Mexico looking for drugs being smuggled into America. things go terribly wrong and that's when the story gets going. this is a little movie and should be enjoyed for what it is. the three actors, all new to me, were very good. I can't give away too much, but I can say that it's a drug deal gone bad and one of the guards is in a lot of trouble. the story is convoluted, yes, but the way it plays out is very effective and intense. even though it's only a movie, I was very much on the edge of my seat, in anticipation of something bad happening at any minute. this is greg kewdar's first film directing and to me it's not unlike "hell or high water", which is quite a coincidence.

SEE: The movie spiraled out of control - 100% correct reivew

[co6779 · 2/10 · 24 May 2020]

This could of been a very good movie but it just went off the deep end totally senseless driving around w/o checking in just insane BS that ruined this movie, a chopper would of been looking for those missing guys.

A real let down

A new low in indie amateur hour

[jake_fantom · 1/10 · 25 December 2016]

If watching 3 out-of-work actors stand around in the desert next to a shack trying to remember how to act is your idea of a great time, welcome to your new favorite movie. Nonsensical plot, train wreck of a script, and a budget in the high tens of dollars all add up to snooze-worthy straight-to-online waste of time. At one time, independent film meant a production company had simply gone around the usual distribution channels, usually because the topic was out of the mainstream. Now it just means some amateur with a digital Canon SLR and $40 to spare has brought his or her half- baked ideas to the internet, where an occasional fool falls for a trailer and rents it for $3. This particular effort calls for a new model, where the producers pay us, the viewing audience, to watch. At say, $50 an hour, that's the only way you could get me to sit through such pure and utter idiocy from beginning to end.

Moody Action Piece is Too Static

[lavatch · 4/10 · 8 February 2017]

"Transpecos" is successful in creating an intriguing atmosphere in an action picture set along the Southern border of the United States and Mexico. But the film fails to deliver an incredible or engaging dramatic action.

There are three interesting characters in the border patrol officers, Davis, Hodges, and Flores. One of the officers has gone rogue and become involved as a middleman in a drug cartel. When the rogue agent fails in his attempt to let a shipment of cocaine pass the checkpoint, the agent takes his fellow officers hostage.

An improbably and overly complex sequence follows in which one of the agents dies, and the other two attempt to thwart the drug cartel. But rather than develop an exciting action, the film lapses into attenuated and static scenes that are drenched in atmosphere, but stripped action.

"Transpecos" is one of many contemporary films that address the major problems of American's southern border, leading to drug trafficking that goes unchecked. If one is to believe this film, the time has arrived to "Build the Wall."

A much better could be ending..!! (Read After Watching)

[shabbirahussain · 4/10 · 12 September 2016]

After all the drama, this movie could have gotten a superb ending as follows:

Movie overall did a good job in establishing conditions and drama regarding drug trafficking. Only in the second last scene while agent Flores was debriefing they could have been shot from the behind the whole time.

And.....

Slowly camera rotates around to reveal the face of the narrator (Flores) to show it is actually DAVIS who is telling this story instead of FLORES ending the scene with a smirk on his face.

Think...!!!

Surprisingly better than I expected 7.5/10

[Top_Dawg_Critic · 8/10 · 10 September 2016]

Surprisingly better than I expected 7.5/10 (wish I could give half stars - better than a 7 but not quite an 8, but got the 8 anyway)

Going into this with no A-list actors, I wasn't expecting much but must say, although it was a slow progressing movie (86 mins was perfect), I still enjoyed it.

The acting was actually quite good, the cinematography and location setting was excellent as was the score. The director did a great job putting this all together and making you feel you were right there feeling the anxiety of the actors and the situation. There were some parts that needed improvement, such as the opening scene with the guy getting dragged out of the trunk - would have liked some more background on that part, as well as more of an ending.

This was no Sicario by any means, nor did it have the actors to support it, but overall for a movie that was a little slow (and I'm not one to sit through long dragged out movies), this one kept me anxious and following the storyline with anticipation.

The ending was also a little convoluted... who where the group of people that shot them, and where the Border Patrol higher-ups in on this scheme, as the report of the amount they retrieved was much less than the actual initial find.

Nevertheless, I thoroughly enjoyed this and would recommend Transpecos as a Netflix & Chill type movie night.

Cheers!

jonny simmons always in mediocre movies

[dantonstl · 5/10 · 13 April 2021]

There was good pace to the movie.

Two things that bugged me were how Flores knew about other mishaps with other agents and him going rogue after hobbs dies.

I think jonny simmons shoulda took the truck after bein trusted to follow the tracks leading up to the airport hangar.there was some intrigue in that ordeal...but when it was said n done...the ambush mighta been a good ending because the helpful mexicans did make me feel bad..but Flores didnt resolve or expose much at the end.

Not bad until the end

[toddg-473-289818 · 5/10 · 14 May 2020]

TRANSPECOS depicts three US Border Patrol agents at a remote border checkpoint, experiencing boredom, among other emotions, during their daily routines.

I liked the acting from Gabriel Luna. He became more mainstream and well known in 2019's TERMINATOR DARK FATE, even though in that movie his character didn't say much.

The plot of TRANSPECOS focuses on what can happen when the Cartel corrupts law enforcement officers, in this case on the US side of the border. People become desperate and forever indebted, seeing no way out.

At the very end is where the movie falls apart. It tries to portray a group of illegals and their coyote as humanitarians, as they attempt to save the life of a wounded and dying border patrol agent. Sorry, not buying it. The movie would have ended more believably, albeit more cruelly, if the agent had been left to die.

Suspenseful and intriguing.

[rjacome24 · 10/10 · 28 June 2021]

I enjoyed the movie, it was a bit more then what I expected from an indie film. The majority of bad reviews are all based on being politically correct and politics in general. But if you can put those thoughts behind you, then it will be a very intriguing and suspenseful movie for you too.