In his debut feature film, Australian writer and director Julius Avery takes audiences into the dark and gritty world of organised crime.
Nineteen-year-old JR (Brenton Thwaites) has just begun a six-month term in a maximum-security prison and is already making enemies among his fellow inmates. As he struggles to deal with the realities of prison life, his antics catch the eye of notorious criminal Brendan Lynch (Ewan McGregor), who offers him a lifesaving deal: protection on the inside in exchange for a favour on the outside.
When JR is released, Lynch charges the youngster with the seemingly impossible task of breaking out him and his crew members. When the teenager succeeds, he is invited into Lynch’s inner circle and is soon basking in the glow of money, drugs and beautiful women, including the mysterious Tasha (Alicia Vikander).
But Lynch isn’t ready to retire yet, especially when he learns of a high-risk gold heist worth millions. JR is about to learn there is no honour among thieves, and as tempers flare and suspicions arise, he finds himself trapped in an explosive battle of wits with his former mentor.
While Thwaites was recently seen alongside Angelina Jolie in Maleficent, Son of a Gun is his first leading role and he rises to the challenge, evolving from a frightened, vulnerable boy into calculating criminal. But JR also has a softer side which makes him hard to dislike, despite his criminal behaviour.
McGregor’s bad-guy Lynch is charismatic and manipulative, while Vikander adds to the tension in the film as JR’s love interest. Former rugby league footballer turned actor Matt Nable stars as right-hand man Sterlo.
Son of a Gun is full of tightly choreographed chase scenes and explosive gun battles, but it doesn’t rely on gratuitous violence to keep the audience entertained. A host of questionable characters and cleverly written plot twists keep the tension building until the film’s final, shocking confrontation.
Shot over nine weeks and filmed on location in Perth, Freemantle, Melbourne and Kalgoorlie (at sites including an actual maximum-security prison and working gold mine), Son of a Gun is a cleverly crafted, intense psychological thriller.
