Stylish but barely mediocre overall

A different way of telling a story

The movie really just wants to entertain people.

It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.

This is a very well made film in all respects. As such it will work for very different viewers. If you just want to be entertained, the simple yet strong plot will keep you on your toes. As thrillers go, it really thrills. It is very unlikely that you will feel you've seen it all before. Actually you have, but the theme of money corrupting friendships and leading to violence and tragedy feels fresh or refreshed if you like here. Should you wish to view A Single Shot as cinema art, fine. It has all you can wish for, a gripping script for the brilliantly cast first rate actors to chew on, atmospheric cinematography, you name it. Overall the film has the feel of Scandinavian modern crime noir, and why not. It is set way out in distinctly northern woods. The feel is underlined by the music score, written by Icelandic composer Atli Örvarsson. It will give you the creeps. At times the strings get annoying, I guess on purpose, making tense spots even tenser. Down side of the Scandinavian influence is that the film gets too slow for it's own good at times, but luckily does not stay that way. Watching the film I was reminded of the 1990 film the Grifters, where a stash of money is also the cause of people turning on even their loved ones. The films couldn't be more different, but both present this classic film noir premise very well - no plot holes. Some reviewers have watched A Single Shot twice, and I guess I will be joining them.

Grim and Gloomy, this Neo-Noir is a Cold Thriller that is Atmospheric and Character Driven. There are some Scary People and some Scary Moments in this Tale of Small Town, Backwoods Glum. The Tone is a Titillating Grab the Money and Cover Up the Crime Film that Feels Alienated and Familiar, Interesting and Foreboding. Sam Rockwell Leads a Cast of Familiar Faces that are Buried in Deep Alcoholic Mumbles Punctuated with Low IQ's and High Energy.It Twists and Turns in the way it is On Again Off Again as the Protagonist is Pulled Here and There by His Own Missteps and the Forces of Evil. It is an Intriguing Film, mostly, Hampered Somewhat by some Sloppy Plot Executions in the Middle. There are some Ambiguous Motivations and Dialog along the way, but the Beginning and the Ending are Enough to make this a Fine, Modern, Desperate Exercise in Temptation, Fate, and a Revelation that Yes, it is a Scary World out there and can be all the more Terrifying if You take the Wrong Turn on that Rural Road.

Worst movie of year, the money I paid for it. Was not worth it . Not worth the rental cost........I payed 15.00 for this movie, not worth it,it's a movie that you know how's it's going to end....with that said don't waste your time seeing it ,the DVD case is worth more then the movie,best part of this is the credits..this movie as bad as punk drunk love. Macy plays about 15 minutes of this movie.i hope they didn't pay him much, but this is one of his movies. Seeing he was in this I thought it would have been better, no such luck. This movie starts out bad and ends the same way, it's not hard to figure out who's the bad guy, starts with a deer ends with a deer, also this may have 10 actors at best,

Sam Rockwell & W. H. Macy are 2 of my favourite actors so despite the low ranking I watched it. It just made no sense to me. If Moon is a "good" guy why didn't he report the incident to the authorities instead of putting a body into a garbage bin? Everyone in town knows he's broke so why would he start throwing money around? W.H. Macy's role was more of a cameo than an actual part. The most annoying part of this movie was the mumbling dialogue and screeching violins. In summery is it a sad portrayal of a backwards small town USA making everyone look like low life scum. I would not recommend this movie to anyone who isn't a huge Sam Rockwell fan. Despite some great actors being in this movie....they couldn't lift it up enough to make it worth watching.