Son of a Gun

Son of a Gun follows Brenton Thwaites’ JR as he arrives in prison and is quickly taken under the wing of a notorious bank robber named Brendan (Ewan McGregor), with this relationship eventually paving the way for a daring prison break and risky gold-bullion heist. Filmmaker Julius Avery delivers an exceedingly erratic narrative that’s at its best in a surprisingly captivating first half, with the engaging nature of JR’s prison time certainly matched by the captivating build-up to and execution of the aforementioned heist. The above-average atmosphere is heightened by McGregor’s commanding turn as the vicious yet charming Brendan, and although Thwaites isn’t quite at McGregor’s level, the actor does a decent job of capturing his character’s naivete and relative dimwittedness. It’s only as Son of a Gun progresses into its progressively familiar post-heist stretch that the film begins to lose its grip on the viewer, as Avery, working from his own screenplay, places a growing emphasis on cookie-cutter and downright generic elements that pave the way for a somewhat anticlimactic third act – which is a shame, undoubtedly, given the strength of the picture’s comparatively stellar early goings.

**1/2 out of ****