Undertow

Starring: Josh Lucas, Dermot Mulroney, Jamie Bell, Shiri Appleby, Devon Alan

Directed by: David Gordon Green

RS: 2of 4 Stars Average User Rating: 3of 4 Stars

2004 MGM Drama

Two brothers, strongly played by Billy Elliot's Jamie Bell and Devon Alan, head deeper into the Deep South after their ex-con uncle (Josh Lucas) kills their dad (Dermot Mulroney) over gold coins. Director and co-writer David Gordon Green, best known for the poetic gravity of George Washington and All the Real Girls, wants to blend Huck Finn with The Night of the Hunter. It's no go. Green and Gothic make for a clumsy fit.