Ian (Flash Review)Yep, bad parents leads to troubles kids. Another story of parents that are absent, drunks, immature or all the above. The story revolves around the older son of a father who loses their wife/mother; a very underdeveloped part of the story. So the older kid misbehaves while the father isn't around. Burning things, fighting and hanging around another kids with emotional issues based on dysfunctional families as well. The movie repeats that cycle of behavior more than it needs thus I felt the story was very thin and didn't build on fewer and more interesting nuggets. I would have felt more emotionally engaged had the backstory been there at all. The acting was stellar. Aaron Paul and the older boy had a few really good emotional moments but those were too short and not enough of them. Substandard cinematography. There are better examples of this well-worn subject matter. Had it not been for the acting, I'd of rated this a 4/10.

anna_murphy1995 As I was scouring Sky for an entertaining, captivating film to watch, I stumbled across Hellion, expecting it to fill all my expectations considering it was found under the thriller section. Yes, THRILLER. I found it incredibly dull for a "thriller", as it has an incredibly slow paced plot. For those who are interested in your standard "artsy" film that achieves awards in film festivals, this is the film for you. However, for persons like myself, who enjoy plot twists, adventure and snippets of comedy, this is not the film for you. Despite my criticisms, I have to commend the performances in the film, as both the young boys and Aaron Paul portray a family's suffering after experiencing bereavement skilfully. Jacob (the eldest in the film) specifically, depicts a confused, emotional teen perfectly and shows great potential. I also admit, the story does highlight the issues brought about by tragedy and loss tremendously. But the entire film feels rather gloomy and negative. However, I feel that the plot would be better suited for a short film, as there appeared to be a lot of unnecessary scenes, which I reiterate, those into "artsy" films may enjoy. I warn you now though, those who enjoy entertaining films that contain slightly more captivating plots, do not attempt to watch it, you'll get bored.

Johan Dondokambey Hellion tells a story of the thirteen-year old Jacob in coping the loss of his mother. He and his motocross-crazed friends get caught up in some quite serious things such as arson and vandalism. Things get worse when the court decides to put his kid brother Wes on foster care, while his often boozed-out father Hollis is also not handling the grief well. One day, Jacob gets drastic by secretly going to Pam's house, Wes' foster care place, with the help of his friends, trying to take Wes. But thing go south among Jacob's friends and he shoots one of them who are fighting. The basic story is just ordinary for me, though it's a hard example in family loss. But the later development of the story is surely interesting because it displays quite a rough emotion play on the focus of actions and consequences. The ending proves to be a nicely written piece of the story and done very well.The bad thing is that the pace is too slow. Well I guess that's what happens when you kind of force a short movie into an hour-and-a-half movie, with less material to dramatize about. The mood is quite stable on the low tone. The movie is quite a sleepy one especially for viewers who seek a fun watch.The cast of up and coming teens and kids actors on the focus of this heavy weight story is a nice decision. In my opinion, the acting presented by those kids is also well beyond expectation. They do live out the characterization well, translating the main story theme into the behavior on screen. I also see the great direction done in guiding the kids to the desired performance level and suitable expressions. Having Aaron Paul and Juliette Lewis surely contribute well to reeling audiences' curiosity.The end verdict from me is a 7 out of 10 score and a so-so recommendation to go and see this movie. Be warned though, this is not a movie for you who seek a fun watch. But those who appreciate high drama content and deep stories will have a good time watching this movie.

claronow-4-815850 I was lucky enough to see this movie at Sundance 2014. Let's start at the beginning with the first notes of the metal soundtrack writer and director Kat Candler has chosen to infuse this movie with a unique, dark but powerful energy. The music sets the tone perfectly for the roiling anger and frustration the characters wrestle with in this film.I won't go too much into the plot because part of what is beautiful about this movie is how the story unfolds and watching the characters ride the roller coaster of loss, hope, joy, love, fear, pride - all of it. It's amazing that in such a short amount of time, Candler can find all those moments, no matter how fleeting. Much of that comes from the script, but it wouldn't be so successfully conveyed without the strength of her performers.I have not watched Breaking Bad so I came into this with no preconceived ideas of Aaron Paul as an actor. He is fantastic in this movie. As a father who has lost his anchor with the death of his wife, you can see him struggling with his own demons as he also knows he has to do right by his sons. Newcomer Josh Wiggins has a face that shows everything, every wince of hurt and disappointment and every twinkle of mischief. The supporting cast is also phenomenal. The kids are all actors who are new to film and yet they are completely natural and you will feel deeply for each of them. Juliette Lewis, an actress I have never seen act beyond her quirkiness, gives the most grounded, authentic performance I have ever seen from her.This movie is being released nationally this summer in theaters and on VOD. Don't miss it.