Movie Review - King Jack

King Jack (2016)

Starring Charlie Plummer, Cory Nichols, Christian Madsen, Daniel Flaherty, and Erin Davie

Directed by Felix Thompson

***This film is currently streaming via Netflix***

Jack (Charlie Plummer) is a fifteen year-old kid who is a bit of a loner.  His tough exterior can't help prevent him from getting bullied by Shane (Daniel Flaherty) or being hurt when he's rejected by his crush.  When Jack's younger cousin Ben (Cory Nichols) visits for the weekend, Jack's attempts at being more responsible don't exactly go as planned and he and Ben experience a weekend that's full of a few euphoric ups and several scary downs.

King Jack is a low budget indie that tells a simple story, but thanks to a riveting lead performance by the young Charlie Plummer, it's elevated to something that's a bit more than the sum of its parts.  First time writer-director Felix Thompson has crafted a film that feels strongly grounded in reality.  The young cast is engaging, but Plummer in particular is strikingly impressive.  Jack's hardened exterior masks a melancholic nature that is palpably felt by the audience thanks to Plummer's facial expressions and dialog.  The film itself isn't reinventing the wheel, but sometimes that's okay when it's trying to tell a realistic day-in-the-life type story and it's especially okay when your film is anchored by such an impressive younger actor who I hope has an opportunity to showcase his talent in the future.

The RyMickey Rating:  B