Meskada

(2008) Meskada MYSTERY/ THRILLER Written and directed by Josh Sternfeld, straight to rental and as the film called "Meskada"- it's really a name of a town where a particular sheriff works at, his name is Noah Cordin (Nick Stahl) whose been assigned to investigate a murder/ death of an eight year old infant. It is soon found out that the perpetrators lived in Hilliard and that it was only an accident since it was only supposed to be a robbery where they assumed no one was inside. Hilliard also happens to be the town where Noah the sheriff grew up in. Much of the town's residents eventually reject his presence and the negative reputation that evolved within the community since their was supposed to be some employment attraction and the result of this death kind of prevented it from happening. All I can say is that the police not caring about how that last person was killed was totally stupid, and a total contradiction about how the police really operates. It also has some similarities with "Mystic River".

Two small town guys (Kellan Lutz,Jonathan Tucker) burglarize a home. A 10 minute job, in and out. After an interesting set of connected credits (metaphor for connecting the dots in a case) we see a young dead boy in the same home, hit by a phone by a burglar. The woman who owns the house is a person of means and influence. Noah Cordin (Nick Stahl) becomes the lead investigator on the case, going through trash cans etc. His new partner is Leslie Spencer (Rachel Nichols) who, in this movie reminds me of Jodi Foster. Noah finds a clue which takes him back to his own hometown, a small blue collar community. Most of the guys work construction on the road and he wants to talk to them all. And remember, in all Indie films, blue collar workers chew, chop, and slurp their food while they are trying to talk at the same time. Leslie stays in the background while Noah plays hometown boy to infiltrate the group. This works well until county politics gets involved in a way that hampers his investigation. Good acting. Well scripted.

Although at times, the movie got a little slow, I really enjoyed it. I really liked the story line. All in all, a movie that I will watch again, and try to find for sale to add to my collection. Doesn't hurt that my all time favorite actor is in it. (Norman Reedus)

The movie is starting exciting at the beginning .. but the end is non non woven .. Instead of searching for a valuable work ,the staff choose the easy matter Bad end, make the viewer feel as if he has been duped .. Film parts are not good connected .. You feel when you watch the movie as if some parts are missed or that the filmmaker had forgot something It is clear that the cost of the movie was simple and this led to this mantle workmanship Star of the film is the good actor Nick Stahl , but he was not enough alone to make you satisfied .. The movie was below my expectation level.. The rhythm was slow ..

This movie is slow and boring. The acting is even worse. Just horrible!

Meskada, or Quiet Kill as it was renamed for distribution (a rose by any other name) is a slow burning, blistering small town murder thriller that ratchets up the tension and sneaks up on you as the calamitous events unfolding reach a fever pitch of sickening human mistakes, inevitable depravity and broken, dead end people doing their best with the intellects they've been given, and the not always great life choices they make with them. Nick Stahl nicely underplays the lead investigator of a home invasion that left a little boy murdered, which takes him a few towns over to the other side of the state, namely Meskada County. Jonathan Tucker and Kellan Lutz play the burglars, torn between fear and guilt. Tucker, fantastic as always, relishes in his backwoods deadbeat role, equal parts dumbbell sleaze and ferocious caged animal kamikaze terror. Lutz, who really can't act his way out of his own nut sack, wisely keeps his head down and doesn't shake up the otherwise talented roster too badly. Rachel Nichols plays Stahl's partner with the right gusto. James Mccaffrey, known for voicing Max Payne, is awesome as a bar owner and outspoken town representative whose righteous anger clashes with Stahl's dogged need to uncover the truth at whatever large scale collateral damage. The best performance of the film comes from a brooding, volatile Norman Reedus, playing a jaded, bitter man who is just looking for an event to use as an outlet for a self inflicted downward spiral of depression and anger. Reedus is a ridiculously talented guy and he really gets the chance to shine here, using his narrow eyed, scruffy emotional edge to great advantage. The town is also going through an economic crisis that is only exacerbated by this murder investigation, creating all the more tension for the film to work with. It's sad that nobody checks out these fantastic indie gems that slip under the radar, and this one is especially worth checking out. It's a fiery yet restrained small town murder yarn that plays almost like a Russian tragedy, where even though you know from the gate that it isn't going anywhere nice, it's going to be beautiful to experience. Downbeat films may not make us feel good, but they often change us or let us see a different side of human nature that is very beneficial. This one is a perfect example of that. Dark, dreary and stressful, but with vital signs still kicking at an essential, unavoidable set of flaws in humans that needs to be explored.

I found the story compelling and the cast's performance even more so. The grieving mother's displays of emotion feel far more realistic than most I have seen. I loved the setting, beautiful and dirty at the same time; just how a couple of small towns ought to look. I could almost smell the morning dew by the end of the movie or maybe that was the morning dew outside, seeing as it's 3am while I am writing this review. I thought that the director's choice of background music and accompaniments were splendid. Every stroke of the violin, every pluck of the bass, and every sound incorporated into the suspenseful moments of the story were excellently chosen. The entire movie long I was struggling not to yell at the screen, "He did it!", or "If only...". The scared and narcissistic bad guys (respectively) also played their roles well. I never hated either of them until the end. The only thing I didn't like about this film was the ending. I won't give it away, because there is no fixing it without re-shooting the ending of the movie, and I hate it when people post spoilers.

Good movie, great cast! Easy to watch, very enjoyable. If you are a fan of any of the cast members in this movie then it is a definite must see. Also, this is one of Grace Gummer's, Meryl Streep's daughter, first movies and I am sure we will be seeing many more films from her in years to come. Add in Norman Reedus "Boondock Saints", Rachel Nichols "G.I. Joe" "Criminal Minds", Kellan Lutz "Twilight", Nick Stahl "Terminator 3", and James McCaffrey "Rescue Me" and you have a movie that you will want in your collection for a long time! The movie is set in a small town in the United States and focuses on the struggles and separations of class. When a young boy is found murdered an investigation ensues and things between the townspeople become heated. I think there were some great performances by the actors/ actresses in this movie. The film has some great talent that has been around for awhile and some newer stars that will be around for a long time. Written and directed by Josh Sternfeld "Winter Solstice".

Quite frankly, I did not expect much of this film, particularly after I saw a score of 5.0 on IMDb. Throughout the film you keep asking yourself "where is this going to" and each time, as the film goes on, you get more of a surprise and the tension increases a notch. Throughout the film I kept thinking "Winter's Bone". This film reminds me a lot of "Winter's Bone", and they were both made in 2010, but at the same time this film is quite different, but still about small town and small community secrets all the same. The acting is top class, and the direction flawless. No film stars on show but they're not needed - this is top class entertainment from little known actors (not for long) and it is top direction too. Watch it - you won't regret it.

Didn't expect much as I caught Meskada while channel surfing on a rainy Saturday, but it hooked me from the start and I was enormously entertained for 2 hours. Very good hard-boiled detective story. Not a mystery or a whodunit as the story presents both sides simultaneously - the detectives and the criminals. I love stories where the bad guys are three-dimensional and fully developed characters and that was the best part of this film. The ending may be dissatisfying to some, but I loved it. Things are left a little messy, just like real life. Added bonus - the music is great. The subplot of the victim's mother being an influential town council member was brilliant. Perfectly plausible.