Indie Movie Review – Boon

I was sent Boon to review so I watched it. Afterwards I had a look at the IMDb page. While on there I had a quick look at the reviews that had been posted and saw that there were quite a few in the one or two star range with comments that couldn’t be much more negative if they tried. That’s when I wondered if I had watched the right film! The film I had just seen was well shot, well acted, well written, and entertaining. Was it perfect? No, obviously! It’s hard to pick a truly 100% film. There are plenty that get close but I have yet to find one that is absolutely spot on.

Boon is entertaining if a little formulaic. But, then again, I’ve often mentioned that there are only so many stories out there so it’s no surprise that you sometimes think you might have seen something elsewhere. The story revolves the eponymous Boon (Neal McDonough). He is, apparently, a former contract killer. Not just any old killer though, he is said to be one of the best; stealthy and lethal. One day he’s had enough and goes on a bit of a shooting spree. As a result he is being hunted by the bad guys as well as the authorities.

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Clever But Not Original

He hides himself away in one of those little cabins in the middle of nowhere which the USA seems to be, paradoxically, full of. One day he gets found by a contract killer named Killa (Jason Scott Lee) and manages to get shot in the process of getting rid of him. Jason Scott Lee only has a very short cameo and doesn’t actually say a word.  When he awakens he is on the sofa of local pastor and widow, Catherine (Christiane Siedel). The formulaic bit is that Catherine and her son, Elijah (Jake Melrose), are being threatened by other bad guys because an inherited debt. Boon comes in to help out even though Agent Redd (Demetrius Grosse) is breathing down his neck.

In charge of the local bad guys is the ever wonderful Tommy Flanagan as Mr Fitzgerald aided by Emilia (Christina Ochoa). The MacGuffin is a tunnel which has one end in Catherine’s garden. This means that bad guy underlings Bud (James Madio) and Pryce (John Patrick Jordan) have carte blanche to act as they feel. What the tunnel is for isn’t properly explained but, frankly, that doesn’t matter. Things come to a head and there is an explosive showdown between Boon, the bad guys, and whichever agency Agent Redd works for.

I’m Going To Smash His Nose With A Shovel

I can’t say much more about how Boon plays out because of spoilers but I’ll just say that some bits you might guess, some you will see coming, but others will take you by surprise. But, in some ways, the originality of the story is irrelevant. The delivery is what makes it entertaining. Co-written by star Neal McDonough and director Derek Presley it rattles along at a reasonable pace; not so face as to lose you but not so slow as to drag. There are a few things which don’t ring true especially given the price of cocaine and the availability of ammunition in the scenario !

One thing that was nice to see was some familiar faces. Neal McDonough has been in Minority Report, Timeline, and Star Trek: First Contact as well as having a recurring role across the MCU as Dum Dum Dugan. The other face I recognised was that of Tommy Flanagan; Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol 2, Braveheart, Gladiator, Westworld, Gotham, and Sons Of Anarchy. He looks and sounds distinctive and is always great value for money!

Movie Grade: A-

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Rob Williams

Former teacher, lecturer, homelessness administrator, pharmacy dispenser now happily retired, happily married, and a very happy granddad. I live next to the Mersey but on the side Daniel Craig and Taron Egerton come from rather than the side the Beatles came from!