From its first scene, Red rivets you like a classic page-turner. Set in small-town America, Red derives its title from a 14-year-old dog that is the sole companion of Avery (Brian Cox), an older gentleman who lives alone with his memories in a simple existence posing no threat to anyone. One day... [More]

From its first scene, Red rivets you like a classic page-turner. Set in small-town America, Red derives its title from a 14-year-old dog that is the sole companion of Avery (Brian Cox), an older gentleman who lives alone with his memories in a simple existence posing no threat to anyone. One day while he is fishing, three troublesome teens terrorize him and kill the only thing he has left to love in the world—his dog. He sets out on a quest for an apology, but the situation soon escalates into much more.

Norwegian director Trygve Diesen gives a welcome fresh perspective to this very American story. Diesen is a refined and calculating storyteller; he allows events to stack up, keeping you both intrigued and questioning each character's actions and motives. Brian Cox is in almost every scene and proves himself one of the finest actors working today. He engages you and invites you to take the journey with him, but at every step of the way, you can’t help but ask, "What would I do?" As it systematically deconstructs the age-old conflict between good and evil, Red becomes a genre tale about redemption and revenge—and makes that old good-versus-evil battle eerily, believably new. --© Sundance Film Festival [Less]