Undertow

The hardscrabble life of a Southern dirt farmer (Dermot Mulroney) and his two sons (Jamie Bell and Devon Alan) is disrupted when his ex-con brother (Josh Lucas) shows up on his rickety doorstep. Directed by David Gordon Green (who co-wrote it with Lingard Jervey and Joe Conway), the film is portentous and artsy as all get-out, but it’s just a sophomoric rip-off of The Night of the Hunter with a bad case of William Faulkner-itis. The actors grapple manfully with the ersatz rural poetry of the dialogue, but Green’s pacing is slow and self-indulgent, and the action often departs from recognizable human behavior. Among the producers is Terrence Malick (Days of Heaven and Badlands), which will be a major plus for some, and a red flag for others—and which may help you decide whether to spend your own money.