Relentless

source: Relentless

My title says what I felt about this little known gem of a film. A few dollars means the difference between life and death. There is little difference between the methods of the corrupt cops, and the honest ones. They are equally brutal. The people try to leave that land by the trainload, to come to the USA, where life is better. Seen on Tubi, the free streaming site, which now has live TV.

The story...it's a 2 sentence story: Teen gets abducted in South America. Mother seeks help from bad ass to rescue her. In short it is a tame and even more unbelievable Taken imitation. If you read a few police reports you would know that they don't wait days or even hours to subdue a victim. Most times she is working non stop just a few hours after her first introduction. And nobody would find her...especially not an US civilian even with the help of a local pimp. The acting is bad, the (few) fights are boring.....a movie not worth watching.

This is a sleeper of a movie. With heros that have to apparent motive other than something to break the boredom. Real scumbag bad guys who all get it in the end. Keeps you on your seat edge most of the time. Some "Why did they do that", but for the most part easy to follow. A good watch all in all.

Sad to see that important stories are often made into worthless movies. This one does not raise any emotions or keep a viewer glued to the screen. The actors seem to be indifferent or are merely disinterested participants. For a movie based on true events, this is the worst I have seen. 'Traffik' dealing with the same subject is a much better movie.

Beginning in 1981, El Salvador was wracked by civil war. Refugees from the war flooded into America. One of the byproducts was the formation of gangs, especially in Los Angeles, that evolved into rings engaging in human trafficking. This motionpicture is a human story of this tragedy. 95% of the film was shot in El Salvador. The film portrays the kidnapping of a young American woman who has been living temporarily in El Salvador. The girl's mother, who grew up in El Salvador, will stop at nothing in the attempt to rescue her. Hence, the title of "Relentless." The mother, Holly Drew, finds assistance from a gun-runner and soldier of fortune named Fernando. "Fern" was an orphan of the civil war himself, and he uses his connections with the underworld to follow the tracks of the captive daughter. Along with Fern, Holly travels through Guatemala City and then to Tenosique, Mexico, where the daughter is being transported along with other young women. Their final destination is the United States, where the women will be sold into bondage. The most gruesome part of the story occurs on the so-called "Train of Death," which transports 500,000 illegal immigrants annually. It is on the train that the fates of Holly Drew and her daughter Ally will be decided. Unless they connect and the mother rescues her, it is clear that the daughter will vanish forever. This video-on-demand was well-crafted with good performances. It was especially graphic in the portrayal of human trafficking and is a story that must be told. It was not merely an action film, but a quasi-documentary on an important subject.

This move will keep you enthralled with the twists and turns of the plot. David Castro plays Fern Beautifully, you never know what to expect from him. Based on true events of human trafficking, this movie does not disappoint you at all.

Always amazes me how folks are still duped by all the one-off high rating reviews posted by 'members' who joined just when a film was released, especially those with a zillion "!" splattered around their 'review'. Drawing a deep breath this one is at best worth a 3.

Realistic and must watch ! Kept me on the edge the whole time .... Awesome acting by all, especially David Castro. Watch it for yourself and you won't regret for sure !

If you like movies with lots of action, a bit of comedic relief, and a great story line, Relentless is for you. David Castro as the irrepressible Fern, is the best bad guy turned hero ever! And it brings the message about how brutal and real human trafficking really is to life as it is based on true events.