Ida Red (Melissa Leo) is sentenced to a long stretch behind bars after a heist went wrong. She learns that she has only months to live and is therefore determined to die as a free woman. The plot and storyline are straightforward but sometimes confusing. Confusing also as they cannot anticipate the magnitudes of their increasingly brutal actions. They are a bit stupid. The crime family is headed in her absence by nephew Dallas (Frank Grillo) and her son Wyatt (Josh Hartnett), who make their living holding up trucks on remote highways. "Ida Red" explains crime as a genetic issue. The problem with this family is that they are not really smart and actually quite bad at crime. Movie is fast paced with great action scenes. Great acting by Frank Grillo (Dallas) and Melissa Leo (Ida Red Walker). If you have the time and like these kind of heist movies, just watch. Frank Grillo is getting better and better with every movie.
44 Reviews
I'm conflicted - Should it be an 8 because of Frank Grillo?
thejdrage3 June 2022
I'm pretty sure I've seen things with Grillo in them, but I will NEVER forget the one scene in the movie with him in it! Holy crap! Creepiest scene ever! Brilliantly done on his part.
This is a Ma Barker gang with Ma in prison - dying. And her boys want to get her out. Ma and the boys are all part of a very complex family that I will NOT go into here.
This is a good Friday night, got no where to go movie.
Don't have high expectations and you will totally enjoy it! Especially. Frank Grillo. He'll have your partner snuggling a bit closer to you - if you want.
This is a Ma Barker gang with Ma in prison - dying. And her boys want to get her out. Ma and the boys are all part of a very complex family that I will NOT go into here.
This is a good Friday night, got no where to go movie.
Don't have high expectations and you will totally enjoy it! Especially. Frank Grillo. He'll have your partner snuggling a bit closer to you - if you want.
Worth it for the Frank Grillo scene
SandOwl_14 October 2021
Warning: Spoilers
If you want to know what a psycho looks like, in case you've never met one, watch this film.
The scene with Frank Grillo dancing in the kitchen shows it perfectly.
My 7/10 rating is given for that scene.
The film overall was okay.
Josh Hartnett did a great job as always.
The Frank Grillo scene really affected me. Have met more than a few violent psychopaths in my lifetime. His acting was incredible in that scene.
The scene with Frank Grillo dancing in the kitchen shows it perfectly.
My 7/10 rating is given for that scene.
The film overall was okay.
Josh Hartnett did a great job as always.
The Frank Grillo scene really affected me. Have met more than a few violent psychopaths in my lifetime. His acting was incredible in that scene.
Don't get it sometimes
EmmeCHammer4 January 2022
Of all the crap we've had to deal with in Movies, since the Covid took over every aspect of our lives whether infected or Forced , Quality of movies has really suffered also. Actors are trying to work at a fevered pitch taking any role to make ends meet in the sense of an actor's ends. Independent films are always gems, best movies without all the Hoopla. This movie has a great cast, rising Frank Grillo, and always Good Melissa Leo give this film grit believable without going over the top- good actors can do this no matter what script they're giving, these 2 accomplished that. Forsythe is now pigeon holed so same acted as his last dozen films, Harnett is the headliner with a little bit of criminal sympathy is ok, Slaine is good as Bro n law trapped in criminal family as a Cop, Hublitz of Ozark fame is not very likable bout like her Ozark role same person. This movie has been seen or done a 100 times a 100 different ways but to say this movie is terrible is not true. The journey has its flaws but if u don't fancy yourself as a grade A critic it's very entertaining. I liked it very much and that's all I can ask for in today's Marvel Super Hero world that's contracting our good actors into playing Comic characters to unheard of $$$$ instead of acting in movies with teeth. That's the movie business now Loud unreal CGI wonders peddling to the 13 to 50yr olds, the latter which is still hooked on the Super Hero . This movie is Good not Great but watchable and much enjoyed by me. So give it a chance and leave your morals at the door watch it independently of comparison. Solid 7.
Not bad
Draysan-Jennings10 October 2021
Not much of value
FeastMode26 February 2022
B entertainment with A cast
danielcereto5 January 2022
Ida Red is a B version of Heat (Pacino,De Niro) that includes an A cast ( I love Frank Grillo and Josh Harnet here, I think they are two underrated actors by Hollywood), and a very predictable script that makes the movie sinks on half way. Even of it's weaknesses, overall is good entertainment.
Bland and rather pointless...
paul_haakonsen25 March 2022
Well, I have to admit that writer and director John Swab didn't really step up to the plate here with this 2021 action thriller titled "Ida Red". I must admit that I was actually harboring some expectations to this particular movie. And as the opportunity to watch it presented itself in 2022, of course I sat down to watch the movie.
However, I found the storyline to be frightfully bland and sort of pointless. And it made for a movie experience that was sort of a waste of time really. It is the type of action thriller that you watch once, shrug it off and totally forget about it. Repeatability in watching it? No chance, forget about it.
I was especially disappointed with the outcome of the movie as I was expecting something more interesting and entertaining with the likes of Josh Hartnett, Frank Grillo, Melissa Leo, William Forsythe and Deborah Ann Woll on the cast list. A real shame that the performers in the movie had so precious little contents in terms of an interesting storyline, captivating characters or riveting dialogue to work with here.
For an action thriller then "Ida Red" just didn't deliver, nor did it bring anything new or interesting to the genre.
My rating of "Ida Red" lands on a very bland and less than mediocre four out of ten stars.
However, I found the storyline to be frightfully bland and sort of pointless. And it made for a movie experience that was sort of a waste of time really. It is the type of action thriller that you watch once, shrug it off and totally forget about it. Repeatability in watching it? No chance, forget about it.
I was especially disappointed with the outcome of the movie as I was expecting something more interesting and entertaining with the likes of Josh Hartnett, Frank Grillo, Melissa Leo, William Forsythe and Deborah Ann Woll on the cast list. A real shame that the performers in the movie had so precious little contents in terms of an interesting storyline, captivating characters or riveting dialogue to work with here.
For an action thriller then "Ida Red" just didn't deliver, nor did it bring anything new or interesting to the genre.
My rating of "Ida Red" lands on a very bland and less than mediocre four out of ten stars.
Adequately entertaining
Gordon-1117 October 2021
Great for what it is
bkg090622 August 2023
I seem to be in the minority based on the negative reviews, but I don't start every movie EXPECTING award-caliber writing, direction, acting, editing, etc. ;)
I'm having a really hard time lately reading negative review after negative review all saying the same thing. I know it's due to social media making everyone feel their opinion is wanted, but if there's 50+ other negative reviews & you don't have anything new to add, why bother?
I was intrigued by the cast & description & ended up really enjoying this movie! The acting was fan-tas-tic by pretty much everyone. I was esp. Impressed by the girl who played Darla, I'll definitely be keeping an eye on her career. Frank Grillo, as usual, seems to disappear into his role. And it was fun to see Hartnett get to play a different sort of character, he was great!
There's def. Some plot holes & i could tell editing must have cut some useful scenes out, prob. For time. But all-in-all, an enjoyable crime thriller.
I'm having a really hard time lately reading negative review after negative review all saying the same thing. I know it's due to social media making everyone feel their opinion is wanted, but if there's 50+ other negative reviews & you don't have anything new to add, why bother?
I was intrigued by the cast & description & ended up really enjoying this movie! The acting was fan-tas-tic by pretty much everyone. I was esp. Impressed by the girl who played Darla, I'll definitely be keeping an eye on her career. Frank Grillo, as usual, seems to disappear into his role. And it was fun to see Hartnett get to play a different sort of character, he was great!
There's def. Some plot holes & i could tell editing must have cut some useful scenes out, prob. For time. But all-in-all, an enjoyable crime thriller.
Something is Missing!
mrtroybradley-572-6704569 October 2021
Well-done all around
justinlong-280528 October 2021
Intelligent scri[t, good acting, good camera work. No cliches in this movie. Melissa Leo's best work to-date. I have never liked Frank Grillo or Josh Hartnett but they do a fine job in this movie. Every member of the cast is pitch perfect. Worth watching twice for the nuances missed on first viewing.
Almost there
carlos-pires15 October 2021
Good cast + good performances + great cinematography + good direction + good soundtrack, but annoying and intrusive at times + great ending... but... weak, and weak script. This could've been a really great movie. But it's a solid, enjoyable piece.
Definitely recommended.
Definitely recommended.
Soap Opera Quality
egsavio2 December 2021
All that BS about the feelings of criminals and their dramas. Tons of cheap cliches, as camera zoom when somebody is supposed to do an emotional speech. Implausible facts, some without a prior reason. Actors with poor performances, especially the female cast. So bad.
A fascinating insight into low level USA
kothara4 September 2021
Saw it at the World Premiere at the Locarno Film Festival. A gripping story with very unpleasant characters portrayed really well. Shows you the America that is rarely shown. I will definitely be going to see it again when it hits the cinemas in my country.
Absolutely Brilliant Little Indy that Does Everything Right...
transientdreams8 October 2021
Sometimes a movie just nails it with all the right moves and subtleties and flows like a crazy river through your dark, poetic need to be entertained by a film of this genre. But without all the profanity, over-acting, and senseless, overworked drivel that passes for "drama" and 'effect". Bleak and violent as this is at times, that is not the feeling it ultimately leaves you with. The music is utterly perfect, the acting is seamless, and the dialog and direction just work together like a well-oiled machine from beginning to end. It's damn fine film making that MANY other new directors(and even some older ones) could, and SHOULD take SERIOUS notes from. Can't put too fine a point on this except to say; "Damn, that was really good."
Slow and boring
Mah_Jam9 October 2021
B-movie with mind-boggling untapped potential
FixedYourEnding23 September 2022
A low-budget run-of-the-mill SABAN backed production which is a fairly templated story with a very expected ending. However, solid acting mainly by Josh Hartnett and Sofia Hublitz does make this movie quite watchable. The brother (Frank Grillo) is okay, but I felt the character he is playing is not believable and annoying at times.
To me, there is way too much time devoted to shooting and killing, especially when the budget doesn't allow for creative angles and convincing special effects, but the real big miss of this movie is no doubt, the decision to base the story around Wyatt (Harnett) instead of focusing on the daughter, Darla.
Sofia Hublitz was already great in The Ozark, but in that instance, there was actually interesting story happening with the rest of the family. In the case of "Ida Red" (dumb name, btw). I felt I was turned off by the shooting scenes and the pointless banter scenes between Wyatt and his sister or brother in-law. This also includes the ending which inevitably leaves the viewers yearning for more . INSTEAD - make the story about Darla, and how a teen-aged girl confronts the challenges of being raised in a crime family, then you might have something really worth spending your time on. Unbelievably, Hublitz is not even registered as one of the 'stars' of this movie. Go figure.
It's a real shame that the producers couldn't make this read. I wish this industry would listen more to focus groups and less to made-to-order scripts, but seem here this is what you are going to get. Exact score: 58 / 100.
To me, there is way too much time devoted to shooting and killing, especially when the budget doesn't allow for creative angles and convincing special effects, but the real big miss of this movie is no doubt, the decision to base the story around Wyatt (Harnett) instead of focusing on the daughter, Darla.
Sofia Hublitz was already great in The Ozark, but in that instance, there was actually interesting story happening with the rest of the family. In the case of "Ida Red" (dumb name, btw). I felt I was turned off by the shooting scenes and the pointless banter scenes between Wyatt and his sister or brother in-law. This also includes the ending which inevitably leaves the viewers yearning for more . INSTEAD - make the story about Darla, and how a teen-aged girl confronts the challenges of being raised in a crime family, then you might have something really worth spending your time on. Unbelievably, Hublitz is not even registered as one of the 'stars' of this movie. Go figure.
It's a real shame that the producers couldn't make this read. I wish this industry would listen more to focus groups and less to made-to-order scripts, but seem here this is what you are going to get. Exact score: 58 / 100.
Neither realistic nor cathartic
maxrottersman13 December 2021
There are thousands of young filmmakers out there who have similar scripts which are all about sociopathic wish fulfilment without even a nod to...um...right and wrong. This one got made. Real money was put into this movie. So if you're interested in that.
There is no real heist in this movie. That's what got us to watch it. Portray people realistically or make an emotional point. Again, this movie did neither for me.
There is no real heist in this movie. That's what got us to watch it. Portray people realistically or make an emotional point. Again, this movie did neither for me.
Gritty but not great
solipsist_in_a_cloud11 November 2022
Actors were well picked, Josh Hartnett deserves more recognition, he delivers well in this movie. Grillo performed great, his acting was superb, he just does not care if it has negative impact on his image. He was a bad guy through and through. The other actors played their part well as well.
Story goes slow, some action in between, but overall the pace is slow. The story is in some part not convincing, other parts would need more time to develop. I am left a bit puzzled with what the movie tried to tell, its message is not clear, nor who actually the main person was. Overall, I think it is a well watchable movie, but I doubt I will remember it well after a while.
Story goes slow, some action in between, but overall the pace is slow. The story is in some part not convincing, other parts would need more time to develop. I am left a bit puzzled with what the movie tried to tell, its message is not clear, nor who actually the main person was. Overall, I think it is a well watchable movie, but I doubt I will remember it well after a while.
Bad Plot with Great Acting
kh-1743813 June 2022
Warning: Spoilers
The plot just doesn't work: it just doesn't make sense for a mom who so loves her family and yet she subtly asks her son to commit capital crimes. It's all so she can be free to die outside prison and I never quite understood how she actually did got out of jail.
Her son brutally killed a member of the parole board who made the decision to not let this bad lady out to die, and I was able to follow that course of action.
Melissa Leo is a really great actor and her time and mine were wasted on this film.
Her son brutally killed a member of the parole board who made the decision to not let this bad lady out to die, and I was able to follow that course of action.
Melissa Leo is a really great actor and her time and mine were wasted on this film.
Dirty and pretty...way better than the hate it's getting.
petersonallianceairport10 November 2021
I'm not quite sure what people are expecting from a guy like John Swab. His previous films are unapologetic, dirty and pretty. That's what he's done here and he's made it extremely entertaining to watch. Did anyone see Let Me Make You A Martyr? It was crazy but beautiful.
Ida Red was great.
Loved the characters. The cinematography was beautiful. The music was awesome.
Great job on this film and shame on people who are just hating films to hate them. You losers couldn't make a film to save your life.
Ida Red was great.
Loved the characters. The cinematography was beautiful. The music was awesome.
Great job on this film and shame on people who are just hating films to hate them. You losers couldn't make a film to save your life.
Family matters ... sometimes
kosmasp6 April 2023
No pun intended - acting does matter too. Casting of course is also very important. And I mention this, because sometimes you can guess who is playing what role. Have to admit, I was a bit wrong concerning the people involved in this. Not that it matters too much.
Josh is the lead role and he is being played ... I mean he plays ... ah well you know this was a pun, so why hide it. When you have a thriller, you can guess that a lot of playing around will occur. This is not different - enough twists and turns to keep you on your toe. But maybe too many for you to care in the end? You decide if that is true. The actors are on their game - they do their best for sure ... still this may be overpacked ... and it is hard to feel for certain things ...
Josh is the lead role and he is being played ... I mean he plays ... ah well you know this was a pun, so why hide it. When you have a thriller, you can guess that a lot of playing around will occur. This is not different - enough twists and turns to keep you on your toe. But maybe too many for you to care in the end? You decide if that is true. The actors are on their game - they do their best for sure ... still this may be overpacked ... and it is hard to feel for certain things ...
God, please STOP that annoying music
Moviedog268 October 2021
Full of plot holes. Frank Grillo is not a real actor. How did get inside the hospital room when that driver was supposed to be guarded by cops? How does he kill two people in the house whe he knew there was a third one there? And so on.
Second rate movie with bad acting and God awful and annoying "ominous" music. You know a bad movie when there is that annoying ominous music.
3 stars tops, the rest is bull.
Second rate movie with bad acting and God awful and annoying "ominous" music. You know a bad movie when there is that annoying ominous music.
3 stars tops, the rest is bull.
Surprise sleeper
stephenw-3018014 February 2022
While surfing films to stream Ida Red caught my eye. I did a quick search on IMDB and read some reviews before watching.
I will say I am glad that I did. First, any film with Mark Boone Jr, Josh Hartnett and Melissa Leo is worth a watch IMO. The entire cast is very very good, as you might expect. Strong performances abound.
Story takes the viewer through the lives of a crime family headed by the Mother who is imprisoned. Her son and nephew, part of her crew and her daughters husband a local law enforcement officer ever vigilant of his married families bad doings. The officer is not compromised by his family ties and determined to get his men. At any cost.
There are a few interesting sub plots and the story is told and shot in such a way where the run time goes quickly. The hallmark of any very good film.
I don't like to add spoilers in any of my reviews so you will have to just take a chance on this one. I will bet you won't regret it.
An excellent little known film that does one heck of a job telling a realistic crime story not glorified by gratuitous violence or big Hollywood BS.
I gave this film a strong Seven of Ten and would like to see more form the Director, John Swab.
I will say I am glad that I did. First, any film with Mark Boone Jr, Josh Hartnett and Melissa Leo is worth a watch IMO. The entire cast is very very good, as you might expect. Strong performances abound.
Story takes the viewer through the lives of a crime family headed by the Mother who is imprisoned. Her son and nephew, part of her crew and her daughters husband a local law enforcement officer ever vigilant of his married families bad doings. The officer is not compromised by his family ties and determined to get his men. At any cost.
There are a few interesting sub plots and the story is told and shot in such a way where the run time goes quickly. The hallmark of any very good film.
I don't like to add spoilers in any of my reviews so you will have to just take a chance on this one. I will bet you won't regret it.
An excellent little known film that does one heck of a job telling a realistic crime story not glorified by gratuitous violence or big Hollywood BS.
I gave this film a strong Seven of Ten and would like to see more form the Director, John Swab.
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