Harrowingly grim, mayhem-ridden tale follows the life story of a young man (Tom Holland) whose parents (Bill Skarsgard and Haley Bennett) both die during his hardscrabble childhood (during which he’s played by Michael Banks Repeta). He finds refuge with his grandmother (Kristin Griffith) and befriends her vulnerable adopted daughter (first portrayed by Ever Eloise Landrum, then by Eliza Scanlen). But the lass’ seduction by a corrupt minister (Robert Pattinson) leads to tragedy. He then takes to the road and encounters a couple (Riley Keough and Jason Clarke) whose idea of fun is to take pornographic photos of her with male hitchhikers, then kill the travelers, their crimes being partially enabled by the fact that her brother (Sebastian Stan) is the local sheriff. Adapted from the 2011 novel by Donald Ray Pollock (who narrates), director and co-writer Antonio Campos’ Southern Gothic-tinged drama is relentlessly bleak in tone and portrays the fear-driven evangelical Christianity its protagonist encounters at every turn as deeply twisted (another minister, mesmerizingly played by Harry Melling, is mentally unhinged). Strictly for those in search of challenging material. Frequent gory violence, gruesome images, a vengeance theme, a suicide, strong sexual content, including aberrant behavior, semi-graphic nonmarital sexual activity and images of rear and upper female nudity, several profanities, a few milder oaths, much rough and crude language. The Catholic News Service classification is L — limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. The Motion Picture Association rating is R — restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
The Devil All the Time
