Release: Sins of the Father

 

Sins of the Father

Genre: Western/Drama/Action

Director: Yann Demange

Writer: Jimmy Ellis

Cast: Jack Reynor, Mel Gibson, Zoey Deutch, Tim Blake Nelson, Peter Sarsgaard, George Katt, Ann Dowd, Langley Kirkwood

Budget: $30,000,000

Domestic Box Office: $30,093,555

Foreign Box Office: $10,495,066

Total Profit: -$30,559,093

Reaction: The Western genre has been spotty at best at the box office over the studio's history, so it is not a surprise that this film failed financially, though it is disappointing.

"Sins of the Father channels the spirit of classic westerns, but it is injected with enough violence that it feels more Peckinpah than Ford. Mel Gibson chews up scenery to great affect as the villainous Eli Whitely. While the pacing drags a bit in spots, but the shootouts are thrilling and performances are rock solid." - George Ryan, Philadelphia Inquirer 

"Sins of the Father is a study in contrasts: faith and violence, redemption and damnation, legacy and reinvention. Jack Reynor is competent in the lead role but is clearly outmatched by Mel Gibson as the complex antagonist, who weaponizes faith as well as bullets. The film's weak point is Zoey Deutch's character, as Jimmy Ellis' script never seems sure how to utilize her." - Joel Sapperstein, Las Vegas Review-Journal

"Instead of helping revive the Western genre, Sins of the Father ends up feeling like a relic itself. The script relies heavily on tired tropes and fails to develop its female roles in a noticeable fashion. Unfortunately, Sins of the Father is at best forgettable, at worst a weak genre example." - Matt Carson, Arizona Republic

Rated R for violence, language, and brief sexual content.