Young Ones (2014) - Movie Review

While scrolling through Amazon Prime looking for a movie this afternoon, I came across a Michael Shannon film I don't recall seeing in the theaters. I am a fan of Michael Shannon and am looking forward to his upcoming film, Shape of Water, which is getting plenty of exposure. This film is a dystopian movie set in an arid wasteland at some point in the not-too-distant future.

Ernest Holm (Shannon) is a homesteader. He believes the ground where he has chosen to raise his family is fertile, but a lack of water prevents him from raising crops. There is a water pipeline that runs nearby, but his attempts to get an irrigation line run to his homestead are rebuffed. Ernest supports his small family by running booze to the pipeline workers. His son Jerome (Kodi Smit-McPhee) is gentle, but seems to idolize his father. His daughter Mary (Elle Fanning) is a constant source of struggle. Aside from hating her situation, she is dating an unsavory neighbor, Flem (Nicholas Hoult). When Ernest ends up dead, Flem moves in and takes over. But sometimes your sins actually find you out.

Young Ones is an odd film. Writer/Director Jake Paltrow doesn't really tread new ground with his film. The story has a Mad Max feel to it. More tech than Dieselpunk, but dusty and dark nonetheless. The characters are interesting and not quite as over-the-top as Mad Max, but the flavor definitely seeped into this film. The quest for water seems a bit odd, as a state border separates this location from a nearby state that has an abundance of water. So the dystopian aspect appears to be isolated to a specific region. I didn't fully buy into the premise, but I did like the characters enough to remain interested. At least mildly. The film had a shallow arc with a dose of redemption, but more revenge than anything. I wanted to like this story better than I did. But it lacked depth and intrigue.

Young Ones is definitely a visual film. The biggest part of the budget appeared to go towards the technology used in the film. There were some interesting drones and robots in the film. The landscape and look of the movie also hit the right buttons. It delivered dry in the way you are bound to find in any desert used for a backdrop. But I did appreciate the special effects. The acting was pretty solid, but then, I am a huge fan of Michael Shannon. He has a dry delivery, but his characters are always deeper than what you see on the surface. Elle Fanning did not get much screen time and was mostly moping, so she didn't get much chance to shine. Hoult was solid. Interestingly, he was also in Mad Max which I think also came out the same year. I wasn't real keen on the casting of Smit-McPhee, but he was decent enough. Not great, just tolerable.

Young Ones is an hour and forty minutes long. It is currently streaming free on Amazon Prime. The film has violence, although not excessive and also language elements. The subject matter definitely leans adult. The film earned an R rating from the MPAA.

I thought Young Ones had great potential. It has a stellar cast. The look of the film was also on point. But the film fell short of its potential. The characters were okay, but not exceptional. The acting was a mixed bag. The pacing was slow, but steady. The subject matter was not original. The ending was mediocre. I'm not sure what would have fixed this film. It needed a lot. It wasn't intended to be a swashbuckler like Mad Max but it still seemed to lack heart. It was sluggish, brooding and tepid. As much as I wanted to love this film, I can say that I was only mildly interested. Enough to give it a lukewarm rating of 6/10.