Barron’s Cove is a movie that introduces its main character at the lowest point in his life. After a shocking tease at the beginning of the film, it is revealed that Caleb’s (Garrett Hedlund) son, Barron, has been killed. Understandably, this completely wrecks Caleb, and when he finds out that a local politician’s (Hamish Linklater) son, Ethan (Sweet Tooth‘s Christian Convery), may somehow be involved, he takes matters into his own hands and goes to extremes. Though it falters significantly, the movie attempts to tell a tale of the strengths and failings of paternal love within a revenge quest narratives.

From Prisoners to Taken, there are plenty of great tales about kidnapped or murdered children and the parents who seek vengeance. Barron’s Cove is not one of them. The film really wants us to empathize with Caleb’s experience after his horrible trauma, but winds up delivering a plot so unrealistic yet predictable that it undermines a lot of its own emotional weight. The Evan Ari Kelman-directed movie has some serious acting talent behind it, with Hedlund joined by Brittany Snow, Stephen Lang, and even Severance‘s Tramell Tillman, but most of it never truly sticks the landing.

Barron’s Cove Lets Tone Get In The Way Of Twists

Its Plot Arcs Are Too Obvious

At times, it is supposed to be abundantly clear who the antagonist is, but I think Barron’s Cove was trying (and failing) to keep part of it a mystery. While I will not reveal who ends up being responsible for Barron’s death or other events at hand, I will say the film’s overbearing score and dramatic direction set a tone that too heavily telegraphs who the “bad guy” is in this situation.

The movie isn’t boring; it’s jam-packed with plot twists and turns. But this attempt at maintaining the twists is severely undermined when it is clear who is at fault in this situation. Ultimately, this leaves Barron’s Cove as a fairly thin story, as the movie is utterly predictable. I did wonder what would happen next due to how ridiculous certain plot elements were in the third act, but when the reveals came, I was left underwhelmed.

Barron’s Cove Gains Too Much Momentum Too Quickly

And It Undermines Its Emotional Weight

To its credit, Barron’s Cove does have a compelling hook, showing a look at the eponymous character’s death before we are provided with context. Even the introduction to Caleb is somewhat strong, showing the intensity of his life. The inciting incident really occurs not when Barron dies, but when his death is revealed to Caleb. From here, the movie has a forward momentum that is unrelenting, catapulting the film into a pace and intensity that is untenable to maintain.

In essence, Barron’s Cove dials things up to a 10 and attempts to stay in that place for the movie’s whole first act and part of the second act. It is all drama all the time, as Caleb goes against the police’s guidance by tracking down a 12-year-old child, Ethan. With the film staying so emotionally elevated, it is hard to get into the increasing levels of wrongdoing Caleb commits in the name of seeking justice for his son. There are no swells in the drama. Rather, Barron’s Cove steamrolls you with ungrounded emotion like a freight train going nowhere.

Garrett Hedlund Cannot Hold This Mess Together

And I Usually Like Him

One of the most glaring issues with Barron’s Cove is, sadly, Hedlund. I frame this as such because I really like Garrett Hedlund. He is a scene-stealer in his brief role in Inside Llewyn Davis, and he is even great in the otherwise corny TRON sequel TRON: Legacy. His foray into a more mature role, however, does not go smoothly. His line deliveries are one-note, his inflections are all over the place, and I especially don’t know what was going on with his strange and unidentifiable accent.

As Caleb does increasingly heinous things (among them, torturing a preteen child with a blow torch) in the name of righting wrongs, it is essential to understand his psychological journey to stay at all aligned with him. But Barron’s Cove muddied the waters and lost me on this journey, making me just want Caleb to take things down a notch. When our protagonist’s young son was murdered, and I was still left thinking his reactions were unjustified, I knew Hedlund truly had not sold it.

While he is given indestructible and inexplicable plot armor even through his ludicrous actions, he is not supported by the film’s script or direction. Ultimately, I was left feeling that the Barron’s Cove creative team was not working in tandem, creating a discordant, unbalanced, and unrewarding final product.