Set in the quasi-Biblical splendor of the Mormon Dixie of central Utah, Sure Fire follows the trajectory of an American archetype, the small town entrepreneur seized by visions of fortune. Wes, eager to sell out the local grandeur to the wealthy hordes of Southern California, wheels and deals in real-estate, but more fundamentally he hones in directly to the get-rich-quick schemes for which America is famed. Sweeping up family and friends into his monomania, Wes' zealotry leads inevitably to tragedy.
Direction
Jon Jost's radical 16mm minimalism—anti-Hollywood to its bones.
Acting
Non-actor Tom Blair's terrifying authentic desperation.
Director
Jon Jost
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Jost filmed in his actual Utah hometown using locals; Wes's sales pitch to Californians mirrors real 1980s land speculation that devastated Mormon communities.
US
