Release: Hay Day

 

Hay Day

Genre: Drama/Thriller

Director: Mel Gibson

Writer: Alex Conn

Based on the mobile game

Cast: Mel Gibson, Laura Dern, Kiernan Shipka, Kieran Culkin, JK Simmons

Budget: $50,000,000

Domestic Box Office: $40,100,333

Foreign Box Office: $19,432,490

Total Profit: -$30,445,900

Reaction: These are definitely not the numbers we were hoping for during Mel Gibson's resurgence for us at LRF. Clearly foreign audiences had little interest in an American farm drama-thriller.

"Hay Day is a solid but ultimately familiar rural drama that leans too heavily on well-worn archetypes and blunt messaging. The central conflict, corporate expansion versus generational land ownership, is compelling, and the tone carries a grounded, somber weight. However, the characters feel predictable, particularly the clear-cut morality of Jack and the increasingly one-note nature of Alex as the antagonist. The escalation into outright violence feels abrupt, stretching credibility and undercutting the more grounded tension built earlier." - Simon Reeves, Honolulu Highlights

"Hay Day is an unexpectedly grim rural thriller elevated by committed performances and Mel Gibson’s grounded direction. The central conflict between generational farming and corporate greed may not be subtle, but it’s effective. While the story occasionally leans too heavily on familiar 'last stand' tropes, it builds to a bleak, memorable ending." - Allen Poole, AV Club 

"It’s almost fitting that Hay Day is based on a mobile game, because the depth of its story—and its understanding of farming—barely rises above that level. The film reduces complex agricultural realities into cartoonishly broad strokes, offering little insight into either the industry or the people within it. Instead, it leans on a barrage of clichés: the noble farmer, the evil corporation, the inevitable violent showdown. The script is thin, underdeveloped, and often unintentionally simplistic, with dialogue that feels more like placeholder than character-driven writing. To his credit, Mel Gibson does what he can both behind and in front of the camera, bringing some grit and sincerity to material that doesn’t support him, but even that effort can’t elevate a story this shallow." - Dave Manning, Ridgefield Press

Rated R for violence and language