Ballast

Audience Reviews

View More

Kyle M @RT79073636 Oct 7, 2025 Less fun than pouring vinegar over a paper-cut. You know a movie is going to suck if you see "searing" in the description. Because it ALWAYS means 'boring, depressing, and lots of scenes of people shouting and/or sobbing hysterically." See more Mar 7, 2017 Blistering indie about a kid drawn in by a drug gang, his mother trying to juggle working and keeping her son from the drug culture, all within the quiet of rural Missouri bleakness. A bit confusing at the start, and a missed opportunity to be elliptical in the end, it never lags, and it draws you in to the point you can't look away. These pensive characters offer unspoken complexities, and a part of you knows this is thinly veiled reality. The organic nature of the narrative its almost stunning to observe. Tho not as intensely volatile as Winter's Bone w Jennifer Lawrence - a MUST SEE - but with the same style and veracity. There is also a measure of New Jersey Drive gang mentality thrown in, and no one is safe. A solid work from a first time director. 4 out of 5 coldly overcast souls See more Jan 11, 2014 The prevalent theme is the feeling of sadness. But there are many other minute details of the hard and rough life, broken relations, gangs, drugs and violence. All the people in the films are totally non-professionals. There is no use of background music and no artificial lighting either. The deserted lackluster landscape and surroundings add to the feeling of sadness of the characters themselves. Above all it is also a profound character study. See more Aug 4, 2013 Intricate, detailed and beautifully filmed. You are captivated by the images and dark colours from the opening scene leaving you to thirst for more. The depth of the characters and the performances from the cast pulls you right in. A near perfect drama. See more inta k @intuciic Apr 24, 2013 i guess it might have been pretty good movie, but it somehow didnt touch me.. See more Aug 21, 2012 A "searing, subtle and contemplative debut"? Maybe, if you're a white critic plagued by some sense of suburban white guilt and too scared to say "It's boring, and the characters are annoying." Beautifully shot, though. See more Read all reviews

Ballast

My Rating

Read More Read Less WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW POST RATING