Bad Day for the Cut (2017) User Reviews

An intense watch.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 8/10 · 3 June 2019]

Nigel o'Neill is terrific as the farmer, who takes revenge against those responsible for the death of his beloved mother.

It's hugely gritty, intense and of course has moments of violence, but it is laced with several moments of humour, which help to lighten up what could have been an overly grim film.

It's a good old fashioned tale of revenge, but there's a complex backstory, and some aspects which are perhaps very realistic, such as the forced prostitution.

Susan Lynch steals the show for me, Franky is definitely the most intriguing and bold character. Lynch plays the psycho incredibly well, dwarfing those around her.

Very enjoyable. 8/10

That's not even...... Yes it is.

This Northern Irish thriller is a cut above

[Red-Barracuda · 8/10 · 29 June 2017]

Revenge thrillers are fairly common, so much so that when going into a new one the tendency is to lower your expectations given that most are pretty generic and samey. Well, I have to say that this Northern Irish effort is a cut above most of them. Its story is one that sounds pretty familiar. A farmer seeks bloody revenge against the criminals who murdered his mother one dark night. It's essentially a plot line that on the face of it sounds fairly typical but the way it is delivered to screen ensures that this is a film which stands out.

First off, the Northern Irish setting is a bonus right from the get-go. There aren't too many films made in this part of the world, so it gives things a fresher feel. Plus, the undercurrents of the Troubles are interwoven into the story as a background which ultimately informs the events in the present day. You could also find the tit-for-tat violence between the two parties here an analogy for the violence of the past in which one murder led to another and another. It is a film which combines its bloody thriller moments with a healthy dose of black comedy though. It's a balance it gets just right without ever sacrificing the seriousness of the main plot-line. Of additional benefit here is the acting performances of both Nigel O'Neill as the vigilante farmer and Susan Lynch as the unhinged crime boss. The former puts in a thoroughly engaging and sometimes funny performance as the sympathetic farmer out for retribution and answers, while the latter is very convincing as the dangerous psychotic behind events, it is also a nice change to have the crime boss a woman. The story has enough twists and turns to ensure it is always compelling and it ends very effectively also. In other words, this is an extremely good thriller which must be seen by more people.

Underrated dark comedy thriller

[Jithindurden · 8/10 · 24 November 2017]

A black comedy thriller that works on multiple levels. Chris Baugh's feature debut very violent and dark yet never loses the comical touch which keeps the viewer close to the protagonist Donel, the middle-aged farmer whose revenge for the murder of his mom serves as an unravelling of the whole film. With such a premise the direction of the story could have gone to many places yet it stayed through the simple Donel all the while keeping it interesting. Without relying on too much character exposition scenes or monologues the film lets the events describe the characters yet retaining enough background for them to be effective.

Superb revenge Thriller

[omendata · 7/10 · 28 October 2017]

This exceeded all my expectations and really delivers a punch to the guts that leaves the viewer reeling in many scenes!

Good acting , unexpected moments and a real engaging story for once. Quite frustrating as you just wanted the bad guys to get it but the film treads a more true to life and unexpected line which keeps the viewer frustrated and wanting to see more...Great storytelling as the backstory slowly evolves.

If you are looking for something more without the frills and spills of unlimited CGI and dross story-line and remakes we see delivered to Netflix and Amazon seemingly weekly then this will surely satisfy, its a masterful performance from the main character and a really unexpected set of quite nasty characters and events all mixed into a really satisfying Irish thrill-soup!

An Irish Farmer out for revenge

[Frame-By-Frame · 7/10 · 9 April 2018]

This is a quirky action comedy thriller. A middle aged irish farmer, Donal still lives with his mum. One night assassins turns up at the farm and kill his mum. Donal is in the garage at the time and sees one of the assassins as he leaves but only before discovering what happened to mum in the house. Donal goes on a journey of revenge with a van and a 12 bore shotgun. The reason for the assassin unfolds as the movie progresses and it isn't fully revealed until very near the end. This adds to the suspense but it does bring with it some confusion. The inclusion of the comedy allows some, what would otherwise be implausible situations to arise and so lead to a more eventful and entertaining film. The movie is quite tense in parts and the bits of comedy don't spoil that. I was going to rate it at 6.5 but I'll round up to 7 for it's refreshing change to the usual Hollywood take on this genre. My rating 7/10 Recommended

Cracking little flick that takes you by surprise

[shaneloveszombies · 6/10 · 24 April 2019]

This is one I discovered on Netflix a couple of nights ago. It's hard not to like it the characters are fleshed out well and the lead has an disarming manner about him that makes him almost like a reluctant hero albeit in full on revenge mode. I don't want to give anything away but if you know anything of life in Northern Ireland then you know why some aspects of this film just had to make you laugh or grin or grimace. The Irish are taskmasters at dark or 'gallows' humour. This is well directed and well observed and deserves your time.

Fun yet sobering thrill ride

[AyanaH · 7/10 · 17 December 2017]

One of my greatest accidental finds of the year, Bad Day is delightfully humorous, action-filled and, it goes without saying, violent. Not gratuitously so, however, which I appreciate. It isn't necessary since the passion for revenge is powerfully displayed and that therein is the foundation of any good revenge film.

I was surprised to find myself touched and a bit saddened by the end, though. It's the type of film where it's easy to get caught up in the fantasy of revenge, to tap into the protagonist's thirst as if it were your own, and just when you think that the bad guys are going to get theirs, reality comes and slaps you in the face. But I suppose that too was something I appreciated since it's a reminder of how cyclical life is. Violence begets violence and more often than not, innocents wind up being collateral damage in other people's wars.

Overall, an entertaining, thought-provoking action film.

Unexpected find

[simonwallis · 8/10 · 1 October 2018]

Found on Netflix and wasn't expecting much but more than pleasantly surprised. Fine acting from the leads,especially Donal. Unfolding back story that makes the film,well worth a look

Revenge thriller with hidden family secrets

[Horror_Flick_Fanatic · 7/10 · 28 April 2019]

Decent revenge crime-thriller with old hidden family secrets that unravels as the story reaches its climax. A middle age Irish farmer and caretaker becomes aware of secrets that were kept away from him as a young boy. I gave it a 7 out of 10. The villains are not that scary but the story twists makes up for it.

Another movie with an ending that leaves you hanging

[jd_bugman · 5/10 · 7 December 2020]

What's with these endings with the horrible cliffhangers? As if they ran out of money to finish filming. Anyways this was 5 stars. It would have been 7 if they didn't leave a crappy ending. What country or planet are the other reviewers from who are mentioning comedy or humor in this movie? Whoever's raving over the humor must not know what humor is because there is absolutely no humor. It was very creative and pretty good acting however the main goal the main character guy set out to accomplish didn't materialize. The movie simply ended in the middle of a scene. Empty hopes.

An underrated revenge thriller with some comedic genius in it.

[alihandemiral · 8/10 · 31 July 2018]

Bad Day for the Cut is a gem hiding beneath the bottom of the sea for the fans of revenge thrillers. It is a great example of why there should be more indie films out there. Fairly good acting - astounding performances by Nigel O'Neill and Susan Lynch especially -a steady storyline and a decent plot twist, this film has it all.

Would have been higher except 4 the ending!!!!!

[joiningjt · 6/10 · 4 August 2020]

Reviewers or actually viewers of movies have now said it's ok for a movie to not have a solid resolution to the ending of a movie and directors are now doing this because its EASIER!!! Not having an ending is like bot including the last chapter in a book!! You wouldn't accept that DONT except a movie to do that!!! This movie was entertaining and well acted but gets knocked down 2 stars for a guess how it all ends ending!! STOP DOING THAT!!!!

Could Have Been an 8/10, But For The Ending

[Raffer_J · 3/10 · 22 October 2018]

Nearly 2 hours of action, intrigue, dark humour, and great acting.

All of it sadly diminished by a poor ending. By poor ending, I mean, no ending.

A very pleasant surprise.

[MOscarbradley · 7/10 · 5 December 2019]

Despite "Game of Thrones" being filmed here, Northern Ireland is certainly not Hollywood so this Northern Ireland based revenge thriller is something of a pleasant surprise. It marks the feature film debut of Chris Baugh who obviously knows his territory, both literally and metaphorically. The plot may be derivitive but it's very stylishly handled with fine performances all round, particularly from Nigel O'Neill as the middle-aged farmer who goes looking for revenge and answers after his mother is murdered. We may be in County Antrim but we could just as easily be in the American Badlands and Belfast could just as easily be Detroit and there's a nice streak of grisly humour running through the picture. Not that I ever doubted it but proof that there is local talent here after all.

"Bad Day" not bad

[lindasue-50133 · 7/10 · 8 June 2019]

( not sure there are plot spoilers here, but just in case, "spoiler alert")

Although I really loathe seeing "humor" and "violence" lumped together, I found this a decent little movie. On the upside, the humour was just humourous moments, rather than anything particularly funny about people getting hurt.

In retrospect, it was a simple little story. The thing I didn't like was editing... A lot of time spent on the scenes where nothing much is happening, but overall all, in each important segment, I didn't find them drawing them out long enough.

The best part about the movie is the lead actors/characters. And I will always watch anything with Susan Lynch in it.

Good revenge film

[Wizard-8 · 7/10 · 16 June 2018]

On the surface, "Bad Day for the Cut" might seem to be another revenge thriller, but it has some quirks that make it a touch above average for this kind of film. Certainly, the Irish backdrop gives the story a little freshness. The screenplay also throws in some details you usually don't get in movies like this, such as a few touches of (slight) dark humor, and a subtle message stating that getting involved in a quest for vengeance can come up with some unforeseen (and bad) consequences. Director and co-writer Chris Baugh also depicts the main character as someone who is not a superman, but all the same is determined enough that he might get to his goal regardless of who he may hurt along the way. Baugh also manages to engage the viewer in other ways, such as really brutal moments. The only real way the movie stumbles is with the ending, which may strike many viewers as feeling unfinished and not quite satisfying. But Baugh may be trying to show that even if one gets vengeance, there can still be an unfulfilling and regretful feeling to what you just did. I look forward to Baugh's next movie.

Normal.

[raraha · 6/10 · 23 August 2018]

The story isn't good. The incidents are not so shocking. The story moves slowly in a not interesting, typical way.

A pleasant surprise

[toofancorp · 8/10 · 16 February 2018]

Nothing revolutionary about the story...but we'll acted, well executed, and not bloated with filler like most modern films. I had a good time.

Grounded Irish Crime Drama

[loloandpete · 7/10 · 13 April 2018]

Nigel O'Neill is a new name to me but he's the quietly impressive heart of this film as a middle aged Irish farmer who's mother is murdered in a house invasion for which he seeks revenge. In a odd couple teaming with a young Polish man who's seeking his sister, abducted and put to work in the sex trade by the same villains responsible for the death of O'Neill's mother, gritty drama and subtle black comedy combine effectively. What's refreshing about this piece is, though the villains are formidable, they are also human and vulnerable as are the heroes of the piece- O'Neill is not presented as a one man army a la Eastwood or Neeson, he gets beaten up, he needs help but crucially he still makes us believe that an aging, slightly overweight man is capable of the actions presented. There is good support from Jozef Pawlowski as O'Neill's faintly hapless sidekick and from Anna Prochniak who is more than just a damsel in distress. Principal among the bad guys are Susan Lynch and Stuart Graham and as O'Neill's uncle, Ian McElhinney, all better known and all turning in fine performances but this film belongs, rightly to O'Neill. Kudos too to director/writer Chris Baugh for this rare 'British' crime thriller set outside of the smoke.

Ruined by last 5 minutes

[Med-Jasta · 1/10 · 18 August 2020]

I was super into this movie until the end. Cool story, well done, good characters and very hard boiled. The story was kinda confusing but I think that's only because I had a very hard time understanding the accents.

I really really hate it in movies when the good guy wusses out at the very end to kill the bad guy that they've been hunting for the whole time. Despite all of the terrible things they have done up until this point they all of the sudden have an attack of morality. Then after giving the bad guy a chance to change in a split second, and to your "surprise" the bad guy doesn't change and takes advantage of the good guys gesture and tries to kill them. When faced with kill or be killed our hero can now kill the bad guy. With no moralistic judgments. I hate it when they do that.

Then to top it off we get the ambiguous ending. "What's he going to do? Is he going to go and kill everybody? Be killed himself or call the cops?" It's okay to not show what you know is going to happen. "Hell or high water" does this successfully. But with this movie they were trying to be edgy and not give it to you.

Such a shame because everything else was going so well too.

Superb direction by Chris Baugh and a great script veined with dark humour by Baugh and Brendan Mullin. This is a rural Cardboard Gansters! 9/10.

[Pairic · 9/10 · 22 May 2018]

Bad Day For The Cut: An Irish Film about revenge, quelle surprise! Starting off in Tyrone and moving around the Six counties this is a tale of vengeance rooted in "The Troubles" but most of the narrative relates to present day events. Donal (Nigel O'Neill) lives on an Isolated Tyrone farm with his mother, he is middle-aged and lonely, repairs vehicles on the side. One night strangers come and murder his murder. A follow up attempt is made to kill Donal and make it look like suicide but Tyrone farmers are a hardy lot and one of the assailants ends up dead and the other is Donal's prisoner.

There follows a story of human-trafficking, sexual slavery and gangsterism in contemporary Northern Ireland. A quest which runs from the border through Belfast to the North Antrim coast as Donal seeks answers, about the death of his mother, his mother's past and the true story about what happened decades before. A violence you would think unlikely in an ordinary man is roused in Donal as he becomes a champion not just for himself but others who are oppressed. His violence pales though in comparison to that casually used by the traffickers to keep their slaves and underlings in line.

Superb direction by Chris Baugh and a great script veined with dark humour by Baugh and Brendan Mullin. This is a rural Cardboard Gangsters! 9/10. On Netflix

Brendan Mullin was at a Q&A after the screening and his next film will be about the accidental unearthing (during a motorway construction) of the vampire that Bram Stoker based Dracula on! It's working title is The Boys From The County Hell.

Unlikley hero makes for great crime drama

[KoolCatReviews · 7/10 · 6 April 2020]

A quirky cast make for a great crime drama that creates plenty of tension and anxiety. A film that shows great character does things more or less in its own way. Plot-wise the movie is good but unfortunately it gets messy towards the end. Not everyone would find the ending fitting however I thought it ended well. The pacing of the movie was brilliant and seemed to last the right amount of time. It really did make make an good impression on me.

Irish Crime Drama

[billcr12 · 5/10 · 18 January 2018]

Nigel O'Neill is Donal. a fifty something man living with his ma on a farm in Ireland. After a wee bit of violence, Donal seeks revenge upon some really nasty men running a prostitution ring. With the assistance of a Polish immigrant, We soon learn that the leader of this pack of meanies, is a young lady named Frankie. She reminded of Faye Dunaway as Joan Crawford in Mommy Dearest, a purely evil, foul mouthed bitch. The story becomes somewhat convoluted, with skeletons in the family closet involving the IRA. The cast is fine and there are some funny moments, but overall, this is only a 5/10.

An iron is more than for taking out the wrinkles in your clothes

[bettycjung · 23 March 2018]

3/21/18. Not bad for a revenge movie. The story was a bit complicated that needed some teasing out to get to why the mother of the revenger was killed. Brutal at times, and I will never look at an iron the same way again.

Interesting film

[mxsuba26 · 7/10 · 21 January 2018]

Not a bad film about vengeance. Some very subtle dark humor. My one question is that does anyone live in Northern Ireland? In all the violent scenes in apartment and office buildings and outside where the main character is digging a grave, walking around with a full size over and under shotgun, being dragged all beat up into his van or dragging someone into his van, there is no one around, ever. No other people on the street. No passing cars. No other occupants in the buildings.