In 1931, the Bondurant brothers of Franklin County, Virginia, run a multipurpose backwoods establishment that hides their true business — bootlegging. Middle brother Forrest is the brain of the operation; older Howard is the brawn, and younger Jack, the lookout. Though the local police have taken bribes and left the brothers alone, a violent war erupts when a sadistic lawman from Chicago arrives and tries to shut down the Bondurants operation.
Acting
Tom Hardy grunting his way to an entire character arc.
Cinematography
Virginia looks so good you'll forget it's poverty.
Costume
Guy Pearce's hairline deserves its own billing.
Director
John Hillcoat
Shia LaBeouf
Jack Bondurant
Tom Hardy
Forrest Bondurant
Gary Oldman
Floyd Banner
Guy Pearce
Charlie Rakes
Jason Clarke
Howard Bondurant
Jessica Chastain
Maggie Beauford
Mia Wasikowska
Bertha Minnix
Dane DeHaan
Cricket Pate
Lew Temple
Deputy Henry Abshire
Chris McGarry
Danny
Marcus Hester
Deputy Jeff Richards
Bill Camp
Sheriff Hodges
Alex Van
Tizwell Minnix
Noah Taylor
Gummy Walsh
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The film is based on Matt Bondurant's novel 'The Wettest County in the World,' a fictionalized account of his grandfather and great-uncles' real bootlegging operation. Tom Hardy based Forrest's minimal dialogue on his dog.
The Bondurants' 'invincibility' myth directly references the real family's legend that they survived because their grandfather was too mean to die—Hillcoat uses magical realism sparingly, mostly in that surreal near-drowning survival.
US
