1922 – Movie Review

1922 (Based on a Stephen King Novel), is Classed as a “Drama/Mystery”, I was lured in by the uniqueness of the story from what I had seen in the trailer. Now from the trailer you kind of get a semi-horror feel or even a thriller to some extent, but what was to unfold over the next hour and forty minutes was a slow-paced drama about a “man” being a “man” in 1922, I emphasise “man” because our lead character Wilfred “Wilf” James (Thomas Jane) lets us know a few tim

es about what defines a “man” in that era, to which I respond “thank bloody jebus I’m not in that era” .
Oh and if you are afraid of rats or just really don’t like them, then maybe you shouldn’t watch this movie or then again it could turn it from a “meh” into a “AAARRRGH NO NO NO NO NO”.

Anyway, as I said this is a slow paced drama/mystery in which Wilf and his wife live on a massive crop farm that his wife Arlette (Molly Parker) inherited when her father passed, they live on this land with their 14 year old son Henry “Hank” (Dylan Schmid) and seem to have a great little slice of life where they seem happy as can be… but not for long….! .. Yea so it turns out that Arlette hates the country life and wants to move to the city in Omaha to open a dressmaking store (not a store that makes dresses, c’mon), but the only way she can is by selling all the land and taking Henry with her, even if that means divorce.

Now our friend Wilf loves the country life and his big dream is to hand it down to his son when the time comes so as you can tell by now something has to happen to someone and I bet you know who.
Murder ensues, Wilf emotionally manipulates his son, rats start bitting and plauging and a lot of the time you don’t know if Wilf is just tripping balls or is actually being haunted, good times all around.

To be really honest, I liked this film and for what reason, I don’t know.
Maybe it was the slow meticulous pace of it all, the thought and detail into the script and visuals or maybe because I like rats, I really don’t know.
It reminded me of old westerns, not because at a very long stretch it kinda was, but because of the way that a western would draw everything out and make you think, but not too much, the long thoughtful stares and the intense rough dialogue.
I guess I liked it mainly for the few little twists and turns that were unique and realistic of people dealing with something like this, how under extreme stress even a strong man can start cracking and end up as a blubbering ball on the floor.

There is no one really to root for throughout the film, Wilf and Henery grow into likeable but not characters and Arlette plays as a mother that turns smug and vindictive, but as the film goes on you understand and can sort of appreciate why each person ends up the way they do.
A couple of scenes resonated with me from the perspective of being a father, but only briefly.

I guess I would watch 1922 again, but not as a choice to watch alone, more to show it to someone who hasn’t seen it, I think it is a film that is worth a watch if you have the patience for a slow drama, mainly for the gradual destruction of one’s sanity after committing murder.

I enjoyed it but only just enjoyed it.

Director: Zak Hilditch

Cast:
Thomas Jane as Wilfred James – father and husband
Dylan Schmid as Henry James – son
Molly Parker as Arlette James – mother and wife
Neal McDonough as Harlan Cotterie
Kaitlyn Bernard as Shannon Cotterie – Henry’s pregnant girlfriend
Brian d’Arcy James as Sheriff Jones
Bob Frazer as Mr. Lester

Film Verdict: To the Rat Pack

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