Inherit the Viper

source: Inherit the Viper

Its actually not that bad a movie. If one of your students made that movie in filmmaking school you would be proud. Hartnett,his sister(who is the kingpin) and younger brother peddle prescription drugs in this seriously deadbeat American town. That's pretty much the entire plotline of the movie. I am honestly surprised that Hartnett doesnt get much reputed work nowadays. He is a decent enough actor who has acted in some good movies like Lucky Number Slevin & 30 Days of Night. Compare him to someone like that clown looking Chris Pratt who has offers left, right and centre. If anything Hartnett is the better actor and better looking. I am sure that the power bill for the entire production run would be less than a 100$. There is very little lighting used in the movie to give it a really bleak feel. The lady who plays the lead is a fairly decent actor till there is this one scene at the quarry where you are thinking.....naah...she cannot act. Other than that she has done a fairly decent job. Its definitely worth a watch if you have nothing else to do. I don't know who the director is but if you can make something like this starting out then you could really go places.

Not any good? The acting aint bad. The story aint particularly bad either, although it is all over the place, with too many characters and too many storylines to become a focussed drama. The bad: it is simply a bit of a tedious watch. Nothing worse than getting bored...

Josie... promise me something. Protecting this family comes first. When it's time to quit, we quit. No questions asked. Everyone knows the principle of the "American Dream". The ideal image of a hard-working American who, regardless of his origin, can reach the top through hard work and commitment. "Inherit the Viper" shows the other side of the coin. A film about American citizens who experience the "American Nightmare". They are part of agglomerations located in remote areas where poverty prevails and survival instinct is a necessity. An additional problem in recent years in the U.S. is the opioid crisis that causes an unprecedented number of victims. This widespread addiction is the Conley family's important source of income. Apparently they inherited the business from their deceased father. Although, the storyline about what happened to him wasn't really clear to me. "Inherit the Viper" is primarily a crime thriller in which the Conley family, consisting of sister Josie (Margarita Levieva) and her two brothers Kip (Josh "Pearl Harbor" Hartnett) and Boots (Owen "IT" Teague), try to make ends meet by running a thriving drug-dealing business somewhere in Appalachia (especially the opioid pills OxyContin) and to sell pills to the locals massively. Even though the subject lends itself to the elaboration of a solid crime story, this film is rather a family drama in which the dynamic between the different family members is central. A family triangle with opposite character traits. Josie is the tough little cookie from the family whose numbness has reached shocking proportions. Without hesitation, she puts a freshly sold pill back in her pocket that she finds next to the body of an addicted old woman who just died. Self-interest has more priority to her than compassion for a fellow person. Hence the explanation for a later initiative she takes and which shows how numb she is. Kip is an ex-soldier. A hardened and fearless gut-eater who knows the tricks of the trade. Yet he's the one who would prefer to stop with the family business in order to build a safer future with his heavily pregnant girlfriend. And finally, you have Boots, the benjamin of the family. This impetuous teenager wants nothing more than to get into the family business as quickly as possible. Because this is still being put on hold by brother and especially his sister, it's Boots who takes an initiative. Unfortunately, things are not going the way he'd hoped. "Inherit the Viper" isn't a masterpiece, but still it fascinates. It's a gray, dark (literally and figuratively) portrait about despair and how to survive in a run-down and soulless corner in American society. A life without a future that requires the protagonists to make unworthy decisions. No shred of compassion is shown. It's all about supporting the family. Although you feel the tension constantly and the Conley family is slowly but surely confronted with threatening situations (a police investigation is in progress resulting in an accusing finger pointing at them and revenge-seeking city dwellers who have lost someone thanks to the Conley's threaten them) there are very few action-rich or criminal scenes. This is largely compensated by the interesting interactions and the realistic appearance of the film. The most colorful role is that of Bruce Dern as the obscure, critically ill bar owner where Josie deals pills. A local character who isn't amused with the fact that corpses are piling up in his bar and whose metaphorical story actually uncovers the essence of what this film is about. And also it's an explanation of the film title. Although I am not 100% sure about that either. The denouement managed to surprise me in a certain way. And I was also pleased to see that Josh Hartnett hasn't slipped off the grid. If you come across "Inherit the Viper" on a VOD service, I recommend to give it a chance. This dark film is worth a watch. More reviews here: movie-freak.be

This movie will have you on the edge of your seat. It's very eerie and dark, capturing Middle America perfectly. The cast was incredible with their performances. The story itself was very engaging, perfectly intertwining the opiod crisis with a family drama. Would recommend this movie to anyone who's into crime thrillers and family dramas.

The film takes place in an unnamed mill town ( filmed in Birmingham, Alabama) that has seen better days. The one mill town has literary broken the backs of workers who go to the Conley family to obtain oxy. Josie Conley (Margarita Levieva) sells one to a woman who soon dies. Everyone in town knows what happened. Sheriff Kyle (Dash Mihok) has a relationship with Josie and he looks the other way. Kip Conley (Josh Hartnett) is the eldest brother with a baby on the way. Youngest brother Boots (Owen Teague) is recently introduced to the family business, as they do what they have to do to get by. However, where there are drugs there is money and there are guns. Each one of the Conleys has their own idea on how to solve the problems they caused. This leads to an unlikely climax, one that made the film. It is a good slow-burn drama. Good characters. Everyone thinks they are a good person. The question arises if you are filled with venom, would you cut your arm off to save your body? Guide: F-word. No sex or nudity.

I'm basically only here to recommend the film, commend Hartnett on his excellent work here, best thing I've seen him do except maybe for THE VIRGIN SUICIDES. I BASICALLY JUST WANTED TO TELL U THIS IS FREE ON AMAZON.

This movie was surprising good and one of the best thriller I've seen in a long time. The ending was gripping and will lead you to all kinds of emotions. The acting between the three main character was outstanding. Hollywood these days have been making unoriginal story lines, remakes and super heroes fantasy movies which I can barely sit through an entire movie. However, I sat through this one compelled at the plot and twist. It was original and great. I'm just baffled why the rating is so low and why there isn't that much reviews. Definitely give this one a watch if you love the crime thriller genre.

I had to give it a try seeing who the leads were, terrible plot. Slow agonizing story comes to an un-climactic and unrealistic finish.

I was pleasantly surprised when I started watching this movie. I was not expecting anything and 15 minutes into it I was interested in what would happen next. Not a fast movie or great action, but more of dark picture in the life of opioids dealing family, a subject not depicted on-screen often. The actors work with what they have, no Oscar performance but also no one that makes you cringed(FYI Josh Hartnett has the Kristen Stewart problem, has the same face regardless of the scene, but the story was written in a way that he did not have to). The big plus of the movie is the direction. Too often movies are forgettable soon after you have watched them. This movie I will remember how it started, the middle and how it ended, which is a testament to the director.