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Parents' Guide to

Cut Bank

By S. Jhoanna Robledo, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 16+

Predictable thriller has lots of violence, some swearing.

Movie R 2015 93 minutes
Cut Bank Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

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What's the Story?

All Dwayne (Liam Hemsworth) wants is to get out of CUT BANK, the small Montana town where he's spent his whole life. But the longer he stays, the more entrenched he gets, working for his girlfriend's dad and caring for his ill father. When Dwayne accidentally films the murder of beloved local postman Georgie (Bruce Dern), he realizes he may be due for a huge reward, money the could be his ticket out of town. Then the sheriff (John Malkovich) starts looking into the killing and discovers that some of the pieces don't add up. The more the case unravels, the more Dwayne's plans for a new start begin to slip away.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say Not yet rated
Kids say (1 ):

The best thing about Cut Bank is the strong supporting cast. Dern is in fantastic as the crotchety old postman, and Malkovich is an eccentric delight as a veteran lawman who's sharper than he looks. Billy Bob Thornton also catches more than he lets on as Dwayne's boss. But Dwayne isn't all that interesting, and that's largely because Hemsworth doesn't give us much to watch. He's there at the center of the story, but his performance makes the character recede into the background.

Even the town's resident kook, Derby Milton (Michael Stuhlbarg), is more appealing to watch; for a guy who's too shy to even look people in they eye, Milton has little trouble finding all the flaws in the half-baked scheme that sets the action moving. Viewers also should have an easy time finding the holes, in both the plan and in this unoriginal film.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the role of violence in Cut Bank. Do you think all of it is necessary to tell the story? What are the consequences?

  • How does this film compare to other con movies/heist flicks about people who come up with "foolproof" schemes to get rich? What message does that plot send viewers?

  • Talk about Dwayne's plan. Was it a smart plan to collect a huge reward or poorly planned and executed? Why did it fall apart?

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