As young boys, brothers Jack and Vincent witnessed the brutal murder of their parents. Twenty years later, the boys matured in very different ways: Jack is a successful sculptor, but Vincent’s emotional problems have kept him on the fringes of society. When the man who killed their parents is released from prison, he is killed during his first night of freedom. Vincent is considered a prime suspect in the killing, but Jack’s attempt to protect his brother creates a new set of difficulties for which they are barely prepared to accept.
Writer/director Stephen Dest, who makes his feature film debut with this production, seeks to offer a moody and haunting tale of the tragic intersection between revenge and repressed memories. Although I found the My Brother Jack’s leisurely pacing to work against the level of paranoia and fear required in a mystery/thriller of this nature – quite frankly, it takes a bit too long before the story starts to click – it was easy to appreciate the impressive performances by Malcolm Madera and Jon Thorndike as the troubled adult brothers and the subtle manner in which Dest brought his micro-cinema production to a polished and impressive visual presentation. Dest and his team are clearly very talented, and it is easy to assume they can achieve stronger results with their next ventures.
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