Donnybrook (2018) User Reviews

bleak

[ferguson-6 · 5/10 · 14 February 2019]

Greetings again from the darkness. Is it a coincidence that I'm reviewing this moving on Charles Darwin's birthday? "Survival of the fittest" could be the subtitle to writer-director Tim Sutton's bleak film adapted from the novel by Frank Bill. The film would have us believe that, once born into poverty and a hopeless existence, the only daily decisions to be made are: Do I try to survive another day? Should I kill myself? Should I kill someone else?

Is that bleak enough for you? Sutton's film provides glimpses of each of the three questions, but mostly it's an expose' on the violence that is generated from a community of poverty, addiction, abuse, and crime. It isn't clear and doesn't matter which of those things comes first ... they all lead down the same path. Jamie Bell plays "Jarhead" Earl, a military veteran looking for an escape route for his young kids and his junkie wife (Dara Tiller). Having a knack for fighting, and an apparent ability to take a beating, Earl decides the only way out is by winning the $100,000 grand prize for the Donnybrook ... a no-rules bareknuckle cage fight. Of course his only route to the entry fee is via armed robbery. Have I mentioned this is bleak?

Earl doesn't talk much, but he tries to protect his wife from the local meth dealer, a brutal savage named Angus (Frank Grillo, THE GREY) who has an awkward partnership with his younger sister Delia (Margaret Qualley, NOTIVTIATE) as they make the rounds taking care of business. Angus is the type that resorts to violence in every situation, and we witness his lack of value on human life is just about every scene he is in. Delia is a bit more complicated, as she longs for a way out, and accepts even a momentary reprieve. To top it off, we have a Detective Whalen (James Badge Dale, "The Pacific") who is "chasing" this brother-sister outlaw duo ... well at least he chases them between drug and booze fueled sidetracks.

The story takes place in the rural Midwest with towns and people those on both coasts never give much thought. When Earl finally reaches the Donnybrook, we are treated to what appears to be a redneck Burning Man festival where the revelers only stop hooting and beer guzzling long enough to sing the National Anthem while the American flag waves. We are left not knowing if this is a commentary on poverty, male aggression, or the forgotten class. It has some tonal similarities to the excellent OUT OF THE FURNACE, but isn't close to that level. None of filmmaker Sutton's first 3 movies have found much of an audience outside of festivals, and it's a safe bet this one won't either.

Driven to extremes!

[wjosephjorob · 6/10 · 24 February 2019]

A tale of strife in a rural part of America, where an ex-marine does what he can only do to survive and care for his family, it parallels with the life of a crazed family of Meth dealers looking for a way out as well, with contentious and evil methods, it leads to a big free for all at Donnybrook, a last man standing contest, where the ex-marine see a opportunity to use his skills to get his family out of squalor and find some redemption in his soul, but it all comes with a price for everyone involved, this one folks is not easy to watch, but you take it in and realize that there is a message somewhere within this film.

Heavy-handed misery porn appals but fails to engage

[Groverdox · 6/10 · 17 March 2021]

"Donnybrook" is one of that undefined subgenre of movies which uses working class misery the same way Michael Bay's movies use explosions. It also has a similar level of depth. It reminded me of "Hick" and the (marginally superior) "Devil All the Time". Those movies were also at pains to confront you with dead-end misery, violence, drug abuse, and desperation.

So "dark" is the movie that it is mostly shot at night and there are even times where you can't see what's going on. The dialogue is also poorly recorded and unintelligible at times.

The plot: an unemployed veteran has two kids and a wife hooked on crystal meth. Her dealer is a psychopath who is in business with his sister, whom he constantly, distressingly mistreats. The veteran wants to enter a bare-knuckle boxing competition where the prize is a hundred grand. He robs a gun shop for the money to enter the competition, and on the way there, after his car breaks down, he assaults a police officer and steals his. Meanwhile, the dealer's sister is forced by him to commit homicide, and after contemplating turning the gun on herself, shoots the dealer, her brother, instead. He survives and follows his sister, who has followed the veteran, and they all end up at the Donnybrook, the boxing competition, where the dealer signs up to fight as well.

This competition is basically a brawl in which nobody bats an eyelid when somebody is killed. It is obviously completely illegal. And yet, before the desperate, psychotic veterans, crystal meth addicted hillbillies and psychopath drifters attempt to tear each other limb from limb, they all take a dignified moment of silence while listening to the national anthem of the country that forgot them. This seems absolutely implausible and was apparently only added so that the filmmaker could highlight the movie's theme of what that country has turned into, what it's done to its citizens, or whatever.

In case we didn't get the point the movie also inexplicably finishes on the site of a Civil War battle, with some dialogue in which the veteran character states the subtext of the movie out loud, in case we didn't get it the first time: yes, this whole movie was set in a pocket of America's heartland that the country itself has forgotten about, and in those circumstances people will do whatever it takes to survive.

At least, I think that's it. The whole movie is very surface level. There is too much plot, too little characterisation, and "themes" that seem tacked on as an afterthought.

Not sure if there was a writer

[bc_global18 · 3/10 · 4 April 2020]

I was surprised at the review score after watching the trailer but I realize why now. It's really a pointless violent movie with almost no dialogue and even less story. Solid cast which makes you wonder what they were thinking when they signed up. It's like a Gone Baby Gone or Out of the Furnace type movie with no actual plot.

Messing with you

[kosmasp · 7/10 · 25 December 2020]

Frank Grillo can be quite scary - or at least play scary and evil as good as anyone else can. Jamie Bell is really good in this too (and he needs to be with Grillos character overtaking and really being a menace and presence here), though for me I always remember Billy Elliott when I see him. Not his fault and as said, he is quite good in this, it is just the perception one sometimes has.

The movie is moody and dark. Some very bad things are happening to some good or at least rather innocent beings ... And all leads to the final fight! Quite literally also ... a Drama that does not hold back a punch and might challenge some viewers.

Super slow violent action film

[Gordon-11 · 31 March 2019]

This film tells the story of two men who struggle to make ends meet. They turn to a big fight to earn a big prize.

The story is quite confusing to start with, as characters are not introduced. After figuring out who is who, it seems I can get into the story. But no. The pace is super slow, and the long slowly moving shots are just never ending. There is a shot where a young girl walk back and forth in a park for a minute. There is another shot of the boy walking up to a house to take a bicycle for a minute. These scenes are very out of place for a violent action film. In the end, I lost all interest in the film.

A Few Bright Spots but Essentially a Failure

[j-a-julian · 2/10 · 21 March 2019]

First the bright spots ... the cinematography was excellent, innovative where appropriate and well done in the main. One performance deserves mention. Margaret Qualley was excellent. Her portrayal of Delia fully developed this complex character. She is an actor to watch. Now the dark spots ... the plot was disjointed and very hard to follow. The cast featured too many thin white dudes of similar appearance and the director did an abysmal job of sorting them out, much less their roles and relationships. This could have been a good movie with proper direction. As is, it is not worth watching. I gave it a 2 for the camera work and Margaret's performance.

Worth a viewing

[collincb · 7/10 · 12 March 2019]

Dark, sad and disturbing. Good acting. Frank grillo is a scary ass dude.

Just not good enough

[steveorr-01599 · 3/10 · 10 September 2021]

The Good: Margaret Qualley and Frank Grillo. Both were awesome in their roles. Also, the deaths of certain characters were twists I didn't see coming.

The Bad: What was the deal with the deputy/cop? Never explained what his position of power was and why he decided to go after Angus on his own. He knew how dangerous Angus was but warned him that he was coming in the parking lot. He was out of range with his sawed off, but knew from the bartender that Angus had an elephant gun. Really?

This decent fighter thinks he can win this fight that pays $100k when the drug dealer kicked his butt in the second scene of the film? Does he think a bunch of pansies will be fighting for 100K?

The contrived "final matchup" between Jar and Angus. Angus had Jar done and this would never have been reversed. Angus was just too strong and too evil.

I debated between 3 stars (my highest rating for a poor movie) and 4 (my lowest rating for an okay movie) but had to go with 3. I would not recommend it to anyone.

Folks Like Us

[nogodnomasters · 7/10 · 20 March 2019]

Jarhead Earl (Jamie Bell) has a plan to get out of the trailer park and meth-head town. He believes he can win the "DonnyBrook" a cage fight with a $100,000 prize. There is a $1,000 entry fee which our protagonist obtains from robbing a gun shop. Much of the film is his traveling to the event. Chainsaw Angus (Frank Grillo) is a killer meth dealer, along with his incestuous sister (Margaret Qualley). They give us a subplot of mayhem.

This is a film that will have a bad ending no matter what happens. It appears to take place in a small Southern rural town but was actually filmed in Cincinnati. Interesting gritty drama.

Guide: F-word, sex, FF nudity (Margaret Qualley).

No spoiler.. Just outright sucks

[azrieldidmus · 1/10 · 7 March 2019]

I was pulled because it was showing some semi-authentic behavior of those caught up in this crazy world of meth and other drugs, but primarily meth. For the type of movie it is, it rolled on about the way one would expect, not too many scenes out of whack but as it progresses towards the end there are twists that simply could happen in real life but being the person who is for the underdog, it seems to pee on way too many people's dreams. Sometimes when you get what you wanted, you'll find that the cost simply wasn't worth the demands that the world of drugs and evil people can charge to exist.

TIFF audience stunned

[richyoungphd · 9/10 · 17 October 2018]

It was indeed quiet in the Winter Garden Theatre when the credits rolled at TIFF. This is not a movie you cheer for. It's gorgeous and brutal and humble. You exhale when it's done, and you're thankful for your different less desperate way of life.

The acting is superb, especially the brave Margaret Qualley. This deserves to be seen

Police officer in farm scene investigating death

[jroutt-24687 · 7/10 · 29 December 2019]

Great movie I played an clothed officer investigating a death on a farm behind a house! Straight thriller

What a waste of good actors

[ema-93419 · 1/10 · 6 July 2019]

101 minutes of my life I will never get back... and the sad part is I was an extra...good plot... but not told in a believeable way... script needed a total rewrite.. you can see how rushed the movie ( if this can be called that) is... I'm sorry Tim... your a great and talented guy.. and everyone was super nice... please try again..

Still Another Brawl

[westsideschl · 3/10 · 4 December 2019]

One less star for IFC Films forcing us to sit & watch their previews in order to actually watch what we paid for. Still another cage fighting movie. Along w/last man standing it was so boring I was first viewer out. Why is the south so picked on for this genre? Is it religion, education, poverty, moonshine? Predictable ending.

At no point does any character make a correct decision

[fakeabsence · 27 January 2020]

To the people that manage to get 30 mins into this garbage film and can't bear to continue here's what you want to know:

Margaret Qualley's full frontal nude scene starts at 1 hr 8 mins. I feel sorry for her, she must have been absolutely freezing while filming her dialogue scene. It was shot in November, her back is covered in goose bumps.

The 'Donnybrook' (which the characters speak about in hushed tones) is a Neo-Nazi campsite market for rocket launchers and drugs. There is also a last-man standing, bare-knuckle cage-fight which Jamie Bell wins by snapping Angus' neck to earn $100,000. In exchange for his son dying. Good deal?

I say 'last man' but apparently women are also free to enter, and treated equally. I say 'Neo-Nazi' but everyone there seems very friendly and never says anything mean or prejudiced, including the rocket launcher-salesman. He even lets potential customers play around with the merchandise.

Jamie Bell's final line is laughably pretentious.

Work Of Art

[Draysan-Jennings · 6/10 · 8 April 2021]

This film was extremely graphic. It had a little bit of everything wrong with The United States. It had incest, child murder, nazi's, drugs, poverty, violence, robbery and crooked cops. They way it was put together was beautiful and brutal at the same time. I'm glad I finally decided to give this film a shot. Hats off to the writer/director. Definitely a film worth checking out. I highly recommend giving it a watch. 6 stars.

Just Stupid

[fbmike · 1/10 · 3 July 2019]

There isn't one thing in this movie that made any sense. Talk about disjointed, this is it. Want to watch a movie about low life speed freaks and total losers? Maybe this will be it for you, if you have a really low IQ. Frank Grillo as a buffed meth maker and dealer. Yeah right, like that made a lot of sense right there. Psycho Frank and his twisted sister. I would rather have seen them both in Leave it to Beaver, which would have made about as much sense as their roles in this movie. This there is total loser fighter dude who is just a dumb punk with nowhere to go. I felt like I needed to be in a run down trailer in a run down trailer park with a tornado on the way to appreciate this flick. Maybe I'll try to go find one and try to watch this movie again. Naw I was just kidding. No second go around for me. Once was too much.

Grim, dark, and depressing

[smatysia · 6/10 · 23 May 2020]

This movie is grim, dark, and depressing. That's OK, there is definitely a place for this sort of film. I was unfamiliar with the entire cast, but the acting was quite good, especially Margaret Qualley. Good photography and direction as well. Much of the violence, in the methhead tweaker community seemed quite pointless, which I suppose was the point. Hard to say whether I could recommend this film to anyone.

Purpose?

[ninomilidrag · 3/10 · 15 September 2018]

I saw this movie last night at the TIFF. Nobody clapped at the end not believing what we just saw... Grim, dark and hard to comprehend story. Decent acting

Very well done but lacking a relatable message

[puck412-135-900628 · 6/10 · 4 August 2021]

The acting by the entire cast, cinematography, pacing, music choices, etc are absolutely fantastic and far exceeded expectations. I was expecting the violence and drugs to feel more like a grimy gimmick but it wasn't at all. Jamie Bell transforms into Jarhead Earl and Margaret Qualley is a real find mixing delicacy and brutality as Delia. My main issue is that at the end of the movie I don't know what to take away from it. The premise is bizarre and the circumstances so heightened that I couldn't relate. Is this what the rural Midwest landscape is supposed to really look like? What is this a commentary on? While certain images and characters were alternately sympathetic, haunting, chilling, the sum didn't really move me in the end.

An intensely vapid journey into misunderstanding poor white trash and the meth head experience

[howardjohnson76 · 1/10 · 24 January 2020]

Someone clearly forgot that movies are supposed to be entertaining. Pretentious crap from a creative team completely out of touch with reality. Sure, there are pathetic meth head people with no futures in this world, but they seldom look like sculpted beautiful actors. The plot, dialog, acting, etc is so bleak, this movie is as deep as watching the TV while it's unplugged. I suppose you can insert your own narrative and try to say it's confounding, excellent art, like a choose your own adventure book, but ultimately this is a movie with zero relatable or realistic characters. It plods along for what seems like an eternity, never reaching any satisfaction. It'll make you pause the film and check the IMDB rating, review the Wikipedia synopsis, and question whether you'll even want to finish the film. Perhaps there is gold at the end of this rainbow, but the sweet release of silence after turning off this tripe is it's own reward.

Pure crap. I'd give it ZERO stars for being unwatchable, if IMDB allowed for that.

Don't be fooled by the title, this is not an action movie

[bbretall-1 · 8/10 · 16 February 2019]

Donnybrook it is a very dark drama, and well worth seeing. Ex-Marine Bell has a wife who is trying to get off drugs and 2 kids (a boy & a girl). His plan to improve their lot in life is to enter the Donnybrook, a bare-knuckles free-for-all fight contest where the last man standing will walk away with a $100k prize. The acting is superb, particularly Margaret Qualley (daughter of Andie MacDowell), who plays the sister of Frank Grillo's violent drug dealer. The characters in this film are very poor and struggle with violence, drugs, crime, all the things that are often common in the poorer communities across America. The bulk of this film is Bell's journey from his home in a trailer park to the site of the contest, and it's not an easy or straightforward path that he travels. He gets to the donnybrook, but it's the last 15 minutes of the film.

people don't ever bother with this film ever it's not what you think it is

[nikola17 · 1/10 · 26 August 2019]

Alright people you think movie is a fighting underground cage film well it is but that's not what it's heading to direction, this has pointless stupid sloppy story plot of movie. i understand this is not an action movie it's a drama thriller boring aspect type and characters were nothing characters were just dumb and stupid they bring nothing in this movie, Frank Grillo character is stupid because writers made him look like idiot hitting his sister, spitting on her face being violent that's what you get from frank grillo his character is just pointless nothing good about him in this movie now i am huge frank grillo fan but this movie NO this is a garbage. Jamie bell eh meh nothing to say about him he

was pretty boring as lead character i can see someone else playing his role easy. entire story is this Two men prepare to compete in a legendary bare-knuckle fight Jarhead Earl (Jaime Bell) who is a family man who has 2 kids and wife is on drugs he is trying to tell stop doing it and Chainsaw Angus (Frank Grillo) is a violent drug dealer if one of them win they get a $100,000 prize. so that's why they both fighting each another about it and chainsaw sister, Delia Angus (Margaret Qualley) known once upon time Hollywood. you do feel sorry for her because chainsaw is drug attract and he is abusing her and it's like you wanna hate Frank grillo sadly and he is hitting her, spitting her, giving her crap a lot moment she wants to commit suicide then she shots him just once but he

has to stay alive because villain can't die at middle of film she is on run she goes with jarhead they go together at donnybrook location at. chainsaw is just going around being crazy guy looking for his sister but when you get to the final act it's freaking stupid how they made frank grillo like idiot entire story plot and characters direction is freaking pointless jeez, and fight scenes were nothing special and too much shaky camera jarhead gets to the donnybrook, but it's the last 15 minutes of the film and that's it film is not full on fighting cage film it doesn't know what is going to be a crime drug film or fighting film

witch one it doesn't know because it doesn't know where it wants to go, and it's lame when jarhead gets 15 minutes of donnybrook rather then showing it entire film put more fight scenes love to see that but no that's running time of donnybrook your going to get witch you can't see much, and second of fight scenes don't go for longtime ? so i don't really know how you call that entering ? when you have fight scene goes for 30 seconds or more that's it. frank grillo character is just wasted and doing nothing his character is just pointless this all movie is just pointless. Acting was good it's not that bad acting i seen much worse, camera was great i loved cinematography looked great but with grey dark cloudy was indeed quiet in the Winter Garden witch i like but rest of film and story and characters direction is just pointless, towards this movie is just nothing just Jaime Bell wants to product girl and get moving to direction to donnybrook that's what fight club is called, and frank grillo play's a such pointless bad guy chasing after his sister who wasn't prepared for fight mainly his character wants his sister back but you will get to final act with her is just stupid witch don't want to spoil it but it's dumb film and such pointless story and characters. was it gorgeous and brutal and humble ? yeah but in very lame way of it i seen much more brutal and humble movies a lot of it then to this crap. film are very poor and struggle with violence, drugs, crime, not a full on bloodsport type of movie that you gonna see or blood and bone or any type of

fighting underground you name me. showing some semi-authentic behavior of those caught up in this crazy world of meth and other drugs, but primarily meth. For the type of movie and not focusing on fighting brawl cage film not breaking bad. 101 minutes of movie you will never get back i don't understand and never will understand why this got 5.4 people reading critics sometimes it fools you around please if your fan of underground fighting brawl brutal type well your not going to see it until 15 minutes and that's towards end of film sadly, frank grillo performance no he sucks in this movie he hits his sister witch makes him to hate him but i don't hate him at all he is character i can't even look at it. critics are so wrong about this film don't ever waste time reading their review they are completely wrong ten out times ten wrong they just

saying oh it's great drama, great story oh it has great performance i am like okay i seen that in millions of another movies this is most forgettable film of all time you may sleep towards middle and say what the f did i miss. i knew what i was getting myself into if you want to watch a better Frank Grillo film of this year watch point blank and it's on Netflix because it's a Netflix film. if you want drama, great performance, Very refreshing story , unforgettable, great characters film come out 2 years ago called Wheelman frank grillo film on Netflix as well go and watch that rather then seeing this boring pointless crap film that you will ever see of all time.

It Could've Been Good If It Followed The Book More Closely

[greyrowes · 3/10 · 19 July 2020]

When I first watched this movie, I tried to like it. I really did. I enjoyed the cinematography, I thought the de-saturated color choice set a good tone, and I think the actors worked well with what they were given. But none of that was enough to save it for me given that the story was absolutely butchered.

After watching this movie the first time go round, I couldn't help but think that it was too linear. No real sub plot and, what I see as an even bigger blow, not much exploring into the backstories of these characters. So naturally, I looked through the Youtube comments under the trailer to see if anyone shared my opinions and stumbled across the knowledge of it being based on a book. Wanting desperately to enjoy this story, I bought the book and read it in two days (would've been one if I didn't have to work.) The story that I read was so much different than the one I'd originally seen.

Turns out that I was right in thinking the movie was too linear. It avoids branching off into sub plots in favor of pushing our characters from A to B. We lose sight of the characters' personalities and get Jarhead in the form of a good old boy who's just trying to take care of his family, Angus who is just the bad guy™, and Delia who,, isn't even a character in the book. The replacement of Liz's character confuses me so much, all of her personality and the things that made her interesting were just sucked out of her, leaving us with a scared little girl just looking for a way out instead of a foul-mouthed woman who only cared about stealing her brother's money to ensure her next hit was secure.

We don't get to see Mr. Zhong or Fu at all, from what I remember, so that entire plot was tossed out the window, Ned's character either wasn't there or was made minor despite the fact he played a major role in Liz's (Delia's?) story line in the book, and Walen's entire history, something made important for his whole story and what cemented both his rage toward Angus and motivations to pursue him at the Donnybrook, was gone and we're left with some creepy stalker of a cop, I guess.

One of my biggest gripe was the character of "Chainsaw" Angus. For one, they never seemed to bring up his backstory(you know...the one where he got half of his face torn up by a chainsaw? The one he got that whole nickname from?). They basically just use him as a primary antagonist and good gods the overuse of the violence was borderline mind numbing. I don't think we saw a single scene in the movie where Angus didn't kill someone other than the last one he was in, and he damn near tried. Angus was so much more than just generic movie bad guy #5 and it sucks to see him pushed into such a stereotype especially since I think Frank Grillo could've brought so much more depth to the character if he was given the chance to, so I really think he was robbed in that way.

Not to mention the dog fight scene! Of all the scenes to leave out, that was probably one of the most intense ones in the book. Instead we get to 'see' Angus kill a kid, one that wouldn't have (and shouldn't have) tagged along in the first place if the damn movie followed the book's actual story.

In the end, I understand that a movie cannot be expected to follow the book exactly. That's asinine and I would never ask such a thing of any film. But so much was left out, so many major characters and plot lines were discarded, and so many unnecessary changes made. It's disheartening to see such an engaging story mushed up into whatever the hell this catastrophe of a movie was and to see such talented actors stunted because they were given the shell of a character to portray rather than the in depth ones we should've seen.

I don't think it's worth the watch at all, I'd say avoid this one especially if you have read the novel(and if you have it, give it a go, it's on thriftbooks for just just a tad over $5). It's a waste of an actually decent story.