We Gotta Get Out Of This Place

Following ‘Blue Ruin’ and ‘Cold in July’, 2014 is turning into the year of the sweaty, low-budget Southern Gothic thriller. The latest and very much the least of this trio, ‘We Gotta Get Out of This Place’ focuses on three Texas teens who get into hot water after one of them steals a safe full of money. The setup is essentially ‘The Last Picture Show’. BJ (Logan Huffman) plays the charismatic, loose-cannon Jeff Bridges-like character who takes the cash. Bobby (Jeremy Allen White) is the geeky friend who tries to figure a way out and Sue (Mackenzie Davis) is the glamorous Cybill Shepherd-type adored by both. With solid performances from all three leads and lovely twilight photography, the stage is set for a heartfelt coming-of-age drama – but the dire script has other ideas. Following the introduction of pantomime villain Giff (Mark Pellegrino), the film devolves into a pile-up of indie-noir clichés – bent cops, heist plots, a crime boss called Big Red – leading to a laughably unconvincing ‘twist’ ending.