A Reckoning Image

A Reckoning

By Bobby LePire | August 6, 2018

If a movie is called slow, it typically means that it drags, at least in a few places. Maybe certain scenes are extraneous, or a joke goes on for too long. However, this does not mean that all films which don’t swiftly jump around are boring. The term ‘deliberately placed’ is often utilized in place of the word slow to get the difference across.

Mary O’Malley (June Dietrich) discovers that her husband is dead; murdered by Marrow (Kevin Makely), a deranged serial killer who delights in taking lives. Her neighbor Diana (Meg Foster) gives her a horse, a gun, and food so Mary can search for the man responsible and get her revenge. On her travels, Mary meets Mr. Barley (Kevin Crow), a kindly store clerk that gives her a warm bed and more supplies. However, she runs afoul of Jebediah (Todd A. Robinson), a singularly minded bounty hunter, who doesn’t take kindly to competition.

“Her neighbor gives her a horse, a gun, and food so Mary can search for the man responsible and get her revenge.”

For the western A Reckoning, without spoiling anything, that is the entire plot. Given the straightforward story, the film could just as easily be half an hour, or an hour and a half. It is the latter, and that is because, as with so many other stories, it is how it arrives at the end that is so gratifying.

After her first day of riding, Mary stops and shares a fire with a couple of other travelers. This is when she first catches sight of Jebediah. She follows him, not because she mistakes Jebediah for Marrow, but because he might lead Mary closer to her prey. It is a small thing, but she shows her intelligence and determination in a natural way. It also fleshes out the wild west timeframe A Reckoning takes place in, allowing it to feel vastly realistic.

Writer-director Justin Lee allows the realities of living in that period to unfold naturally. The beauty of the trails Mary travels is matched only by their immensity. Mary stops to eat and drink, and the isolation she is experiencing is beautifully realized thanks to the cinematography. Adding to the tension as well as the haunting score by Jared Forman.

“…allows the realities of living in that period to unfold naturally.”

Less impressive is Jebediah. His quick temper and shoot first attitude does not make a ton of sense. Since he is not the killer, his scenes only take away from the real story- Mary finding Marrow. They also ring false dramatic tension which makes all of his sequences feel hollow.

Dietrich is good, even if it takes her a few scenes to seem really comfortable in the role. Makely as the killer gives a spirited, engaging performance. Lance Henriksen is in the film for a brief time, and he is as charismatic as ever. Kevin Crow provides a refreshingly nice presence to the harsh journey, and he projects that sweetness well.

A Reckoning takes its time but is well worth the watch. A few minor issues prevent from being a masterpiece, but thanks to excellent directing, it is a hypnotizing viewing experience.

A Reckoning (2018) Directed by Justin Lee. Written by Justin Lee. Starring June Dietrich, Lance Henriksen, Kevin Crow, Kevin Makley, Todd A. Robinson, Meg Foster.

7.5 Gummi Bears (out of 10)

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  1. Marcel E Laviolette says:

    I agree with these other a******s about the movie
    The sound track and the sets are the only things i really enjoyed with this flick
    Sure looks like it’s filmed on Vancouver Island

  2. Kate says:

    Who does she bury on the beach in the end scene ????????

  3. The John DeConqueroo says:

    How much did they pay you to write this nonsensical garbage? You have no shame! This is absolutely and beyond any doubt the worst Western I have ever seen! It may be the worst Western of all time!
    Yeah, I’ll be back to read your movie critiques again REAL SOON, bro…

  4. Fox says:

    Terrible, terrible, terrible. The acting, the plot, even the scenery left a lot to be desired. DO NOT waste your time on this one.

  5. Maggie says:

    The closing image was such a non-sequitor that the ending completely threw me. It’s so in competition with the action of the preceding scene and the dialogue of her departure-for-journey scene (with actress Meg Foster) that I wondered if it was a sick twist. Since it’s not, it is then a perplexing ending that I’m not sure what it was supposed to convey.

  6. John Spangler says:

    I travel for a living and I have hiked the entire Appalachian Trail and many trails throughout the west. Nature can be very cruel. Add that to the savage nature of men at that time makes me disbelieve this story could never really happen. But thanks to Hollywood, anything is possible. I love westerns and this one is different. Worth watching. Kind of boring, but beautifully made.

  7. D. Cole says:

    The movie sucked. No plot, no imagination, bad acting, no character development and far from realistic. Nice nature scenes do not make a movie. Don’t waste your time on this one.

  8. Adam Weber says:

    Agree. I’m going to do my write up on the film soon and I thought it was really solid without being a masterpiece. Some of these comments are
    mind boggling. I’ve never got my head around the things people see (or don’t see) as is often the case. This is a professionally made film with great cinematography, crystal clear audio, and a great score. Those three things alone could never have it seen as “terrible” and if you’re calling a product
    like this terrible you ought not to be allowed to watch another film because you clearly know nothing about the process.

  9. Robert Scott says:

    Baffling! How did Mary O’Malley survive? Goofy ending. Huge disappointment.

  10. Thomas Smith says:

    Hmm… Derivative much? See ‘The Stolen’, released in 2017… “The story of a woman who must find her kidnapped [baby] son [after her husband is murdered], navigating a world she s doesn’t know, on the edge of danger with every heartbeat.” But swap out Oregon in the 1870s for New Zealand in the 1860s, and throw in a LOT more action & a better storyline. Similar windswept beach scenes & tag lines too…
    The Stolen: She’s Coming For You
    A Reckoning: Revenge Is Coming
    It seems Justin Lee maybe watched The Stolen before he wrote this, but it certainly wasn’t an improvement on the NZ version!

  11. Rodney Burgerhoff says:

    While it was slow. It did build albeit slowly to a descent end. I just have one question that makes no sense in the story at all. After she killed the a*****e bounty Hunter. Why didn’t she go get her horse back or take his guns or his horse and supplies for that matter. They had to be close. Makes no sense that in those conditions she would just keep walking . . The writer wasn’t very bright in my opinion.

  12. Roger Passmore says:

    Are you out of your mind! This movie could win an academy award for the worst acting, directing and scrip ever. It’s worse than terrible.

  13. Kevin Crow says:

    Love the review! However the Store Clerk Character is Drew Garrettson. Not me 😉

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