A Single Shot
A Single Shot
R | 20 September 2013 (USA)
A Single Shot Trailers

The tragic death of a beautiful young girl starts a tense and atmospheric game of cat and mouse between hunter John Moon and the hardened backwater criminals out for his blood.

Reviews
GamerTab That was an excellent one.
DipitySkillful an ambitious but ultimately ineffective debut endeavor.
Lollivan It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.
Nicole I enjoyed watching this film and would recommend other to give it a try , (as I am) but this movie, although enjoyable to watch due to the better than average acting fails to add anything new to its storyline that is all too familiar to these types of movies.
jormatuominen 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.
wdashton43 Many reviewers are complaining about this movie being "slow" because of the plot. What makes this movie slow is the pacing and uneven structure. The plot itself fine and actually pretty interesting - a hunter accidentally kills someone in the woods and decides not to tell anyone about it. He finds a stash of money with the body and uses it to better his Son. That's a good story. Unfortunately, it's the poor direction, editing and writing of this movie that really destroy what is a pretty good premise. Honestly (the more I think about it), with the exception of an interesting story (at least at the beginning) and a great performance by Rockwell, this film is a complete mess. There are numerous scenes that don't fit or just don't make sense. Though Rockwell is fantastic, many of his character's actions are completely idiotic. I blame a poor script filled with convenient characters that serve as nothing more than stereotypical plot devises. Neo-noir films can break rules and be implausible, but that's because they usually have a pacing that builds to a great climax, making you forgot about all the plot holes and illogical characters. Rockwell's character is the only person in the movie with any depth. Which is a testament to Rockwell, because the writer does not do anything to help us relate to this guy. I guess, to a degree, that might be the point - this unlucky chap could be any of us. But at a certain point I wanted more focus on the psychological weight of his murder, a Tell Tale Heart kind of thing, and less No Country For Old Men 2. I didn't hate this movie. It does create a nice atmosphere, but there's too much wrong with it to really enjoy it for more than 10 minutes at a time at any point. Thank goodness for Rockwell, or it would have been completely unwatchable. Check out Cold In July or Blue Ruin - those films show you how to do neo-noir thrillers right.
jhood-208-254513 I don't review movies but had to on this one. Excellent film. Performances, setting, pace, and mood all amazing. Jeffery Wright...played the role of Simon so well I didn't recognize him (I just accepted his sleazy, toxic character). He and Rockwell were phenomenal. Most viewers are not prepared for such a slow-paced film - it needed to be because of the subject matter. The director did well to expose the gritty, depressing life John lives. Incorporating the little bits of "visions" was just enough and yes the breathing and even closed/open eyes are just part of the creative aspects peppered through-out.See it and know it is a hard film to watch but so worth it.
petarmatic This kind of film you try to forget fast. What a waste of time! Plot is slow and not that interesting. I saw similar plots so many times in my life, and they turned out better in those films then in this one. OK, guy is hunting and he shoots a girl by accident. That happens so many times in the USA. Well, did not Dick Chaney shoot his friend (hm I wonder was it by accident). Those hunters. Do they want to hunt for the animals or for the people, sometimes I wonder.Acting is not impressive at all. Slow and unimpressive, just as this film is.Well, I suggest that you run for your life. I did after I gave 45 minutes of my life to this film. It did not deserve one minute.