LOCARNO FILM FESTIVAL 2026 REVIEW! It’s wild what one reckless mistake can cost a guy — that’s the sinking feeling I got from writer-director Vincent Grashaw’s Bruton. Based on a true story, it’s mindboggling how fast an ordinary life can spin completely out of control.
Bryan Bruton (Theo Rossi) is a small-time hustler based out of Jacksonville, Florida. His superpower is that he can talk his way into or out of just about anything. His gift soon turns against him when he flirts with the wrong girl, who blackmails him in front of his wife, Sienna (Aya Cash), and daughter, Crystal. When the girl’s family comes after him because she lied about their affair, the result is that one of the thugs is killed in a car accident and Bryan is convicted of manslaughter; because he fled the scene, he is given a ten-year sentence.
To Bruton, prison becomes just another hustle. He teams up with fellow inmates Jamal (Kelvin Hodge), Duncan (Aaron Quick Nelson), and Kai (Tony Hale). With the help of CO Maura Willis (Tammy Blanchard), Bruton and crew immediately set up an elaborate cellphone, internet, and pirate-prison podcast scheme that earns them tens of thousands of dollars. Deep down, though, Bruton’s sole focus is to be reunited with his daughter, Crystal, but tensions are high with his now-ex-wife, Sienna.
As they say, all good things come to an end when a rival prison gang wants in on Bruton’s action. When he refuses, an attempt is made on Bruton’s life, resulting in Jamal’s death and the others being put in solitary confinement. Now that his prison empire has come crashing down, Bruton’s only option is to escape.
Bryan Bruton and Kai share a laugh on the phone in a scene from Bruton.
“With the help of CO Maura Willis, Bruton and crew immediately set up an elaborate cellphone, internet, and pirate-prison podcast scheme that earns them tens of thousands of dollars.”
I’ve been a sucker for prison movies ever since I saw The Great Escape, with prisoners rigging the system as either a for-profit enterprise or a way of escape. That certainly happens here. The plot then becomes all about escalation. The more Bruton outsmarts everyone, the higher the stakes climb, and if he ever gets caught (and they all do), the fallout is brutal and unfair. It’s perfect.
Theo Rossi is perfect as Bryan Bruton. From personality, emotional performance, and most importantly, his swagger…full stop. He plays Bruton as the guy living slightly on the wrong side of the tracks, and yet you’re rooting for him anyway. Sure, Bruton makes plenty of mistakes upfront — he’s in for manslaughter, which is bad enough on its own — but between his own bad decisions and the system’s retribution, one bad choice balloons into what might as well be a death sentence. There’s also Bruton, a father driven by the need…the desire to be with his daughter; this is everything to the character. Watching him learn that ultimate lesson, late as it comes, is where the film earns its stripes.
In the end, all Bruton wants to do is reunite with his daughter — free man or not. There is no nobler journey than family. Take my advice: Bruton is an incredible journey about a guy who changes along the way, makes his own luck, and finds some luck waiting for him at the end, too.
Bruton screened at the 2026 Locarno Film Festival.
"…One bad choice balloons into…a death sentence."
