Director Nicholas Maggio is pushing the boundaries of what a “crime film” can be. At first glance, the lush, artful aesthetic in his neo-noir drama, Mob Land, looks like it belongs on the cover of Vogue as much as it does on American Cinematographer. It’s a welcoming observation, one that the arthouse crowd will most certainly be surprised by. The photographer-turned-filmmaker builds a bridge between the traditional and untraditional schools of thought with Mob Land, proving that a crime film can be just as effective with less frills and more visceral observation.
Mob Land is a devastating look at the consequences of desperation. The film centers around Shelby (Shiloh Fernandez) and his brother-in-law, Trey (Kevin Dillon). Living in a small, Southern town that is in the throes of addiction, Trey schemes up a plan for some quick cash. Enlisting his hesitant brother-in-law, Trey and Shelby decide to rob a pill mill with the agreement that no one gets hurt. What was supposed to be a relatively harmless act quickly turns violent when shorts are fired, derailing the expectations for a silent steal and causing the men to fall into a panicked fight-or-flight state.
Meanwhile, the local sheriff, Bodie Davis (John Travolta) catches wind of the robbery and throughout his investigation, discovers harsh truths and dirty secrets about this small town and the people in it. But Sheriff Bodie isn’t necessarily the one to fear, Shelby and Trey know that there is an unspoken hierarchy amongst the community which puts mafia man Clayton Minor (Stephen Dorff) in charge. When they realize that the money they stole from the pill mill was Clayton’s, Shelby and Trey are terrified that they may have accidentally executed their own death warrant.
Mob Land lends itself to traditional themes of family and trust, but what makes this feel different from other crime films is how Maggio captures the quiet nuances of a drug-addicted Americana town. The story itself is told through an unconditional lens with its overall dark and gritty texture; handheld camerawork by cinematographer Nick Matthews makes the film feel alive as if the viewer is a cowering witness hiding from the fights that erupt on screen. The score by composer David Gerald Steinberg swells with tension and emotive energy but also knows when to restrain itself and let the characters organically reach certain arcs without the aid of the music. Performances by all involved, including Ashley Benson who plays opposite Shiloh Fernandez as his wife Caroline, capture an authentic sense of clinging to any strands of hope for a better future, no matter how grim the odds.
The juxtaposition at the heart of Mob Land is the act of doing the “bad” in an attempt to regain the “good.” Shelby isn’t a bad guy, and neither is Trey or Clayton for that matter. They are all just men fighting to survive in a cruel, unfair world, using whatever resources they have to gain any sense of security. The philosophical questions of morality and nihilism arise throughout the film, encouraging the viewer to imagine what their role would be in this scenario.
There are consequences to living fast, which Mob Land explores in rich detail. Paying homage to the independent crime thrillers of the past, Mob Land is a fresh and thrilling joyride worth taking.
Mob Land is distributed by Saban Films. Now playing in select theaters, coming to digital and VOD this Friday, August 25th.
