A methodical gem.

Funded through a successful Kickstarter campaign, this independent American thriller was a prize-winner at the Cannes Film Festival in May of 2013, and later released on home video and in theaters in April the following year. Jeremy Saulnier directs the $1-million dollar picture, which follows Macon Blair as a disheveled beach vagrant, who decides to take revenge against his parents killer, recently released from prison.

This is not your typical hero, but he carries the bulk of the run-time with ease... often with only a whips her or an anguished glance. As he tracks down the criminal's violent family, he gets some help from his sister, and old high school friend played by Amy Hargreaves, and "Home Alone"'s Devin Ratray, respectively. And while all three of these main characters do a great job with the uncomfortably realistic situations... there are huge passages of this picture without any dialogue at all.

Indeed, the 90-minute experience is a very slow, and deliberate burn... following the decisions and consequences of an imperfect crime. Just before Blair must decide to go through with his vengeful plot, we see him cower and begin to cry... afraid of the path he's about to embark on. It's a quiet and powerful moment that sets the R-rated story into motion. Moments later, when confronted by an innocent witness who asks if he attacked someone... Blair can only muster a soft reply, "Yeah... [he] hurt my parents."

Saulnier's directorial style is ever-present, staying out of the way of the action, but always at eye-level with the characters. The low-key and seldom used music from Brooke and Will Blair hangs beneath the dramatic scenes with an unsettling tone. While I can't say I have any personal experience with this homicidal narrative, the story definitely makes you reflect on what your own decisions and mistakes might be in a situation like this. The protagonist is just a regular guy on a mission... encountering dozens of obstacles he never considered.

A fantastic example of the potential of crowdfunding, and a true unique, independent gem, this is a methodical, almost psychological look at what truly drives us when we're at our worst. I thought it was a GREAT movie.