The story is as old as Cain and Abel. One brother is kind and the other is a killer. As a family struggles to stay together, it is eventually torn asunder. There is a biblical quality to "A Violent Separation" that gives the film depth and unviersality in its emotional impact.

In the bonus track of the DVD of the film, the co-directors, the Goetz brothers, described their film as "ordinary people in extraordinary situations." They might have added that the extraordinary situations are of the characters' own doing. In ancient Greek tragedy, there is a fateful moment for the protagonist when is a choice made with unforeseen consequences. There is such a moment in "A Violent Separation" when the young police officer Norm chooses to participate with his wayward brother Ray in a "cover up" of a crime. It is that choice that leads both characters down the tragic path.

From the extras segment of the DVD, it was interesting to learn that a number of the cast members were from the UK. Their work accomplished on dialect was superb in the characters' speech patterns from rural Missouri. There was also fastidious attention to detail on the part of the Goetz brothers for their camera work, set-ups, and the overall film aesthetics. There was a striking beauty of the Missouri landscape juxtaposed with the tawdry situation of the two brothers as they became steeped in crime and in guilt.

The women's roles in the film were also fascinating in the contrasting pair of sisters (Abbey and Fran) set in relief with the two brothers (Ray and Norm). Other characters, including the taciturn grampa and the savvy sheriff were nuanced human portraits. All were drawn into the film's moral dilemma in which the crime must be solved in the same way that Sophocles crafted the tragic dilemma of Oedipus.

While the film was set in 1983 in the heartland of America, there was a timeless dimension to "A Violent Separation." When the sheriff describes his philosophy of solving the crime, the words that he uses are "man and time" that hold the keys to the truth. Those universal values help to invest the film with its powerful context of myth.

This film start at 1983, two brothers(Norman and Ray),fall in love with two sisters(Frances and Abbey)! One day, Abbey ask Ray to teach her shooting, in the car Abbey kill by the gun hold on her hand when she play with it! Ray later begging Norman to cover for him! Because he already dump the body and he also have some crime records! As turnout, Norman is a police officer! This story really not realistic and treat audience like idiot! Norman should do the right thing, investigate the whole thing! Instead he doing all wrong entire film! He let his superior step in and he even change the key for Ray! Don't expect intense action scene! Is zero! Have a nudity scene when Ray having sex with another woman after Abbey dead! Most ridiculous is the ending scene! Norman don't want let Ray submit, he ridiculously shot him to death! Completely wasting time to watch! Just skip this film!

"You drop a stack of hay in a tub of water and the needle will fall to the bottom". Huh, that's interesting.

Anyway in 1998, I remembered seeing one of my all-time favorite films. That would be Sam Raimi's coaxing and nasty thriller, A Simple Plan. A Violent Separation feels very rain-soaked, very Mayberry, slightly neo-noir, and Simple Plan...ish. Yup, it's my latest review.

"Separation" with its depressing, closed-in feel, heralds solid performances from its B-list cast. That's especially inherent in Ted Levine who plays a disciplined, can't-let-it-go detective. "Separation's" two brother directors (Kevin Goetz and Michael Goetz) create a flick with palpable tension and diverse moments where nothing is actually what it seems. Their "Separation" may be slow at times but it unfolds effectively with a Lady Macbeth-type character flaw (spoiler).

Harboring a setting involving small town Missouri circa 1983 (even though it doesn't really look like 1983),A Violent Separation chronicles two siblings named Norman and Ray Young (played intensely by Brenton Thwaites and Ben Robson). Ray accidentally kills his girlfriend by gunshot and his young, sheriff bro Norman tries to help him cover it up.

Look for actors who resemble other actors (Thwaites looks like Andrew Garfield, Robson looks like Chris Hardwick, and Alycia Debnam-Cary has that Emmy Rossum thing going on),a lot of metaphoric fishing scenes, an ardent musical score, and lots of bar tussles. Basically, "Separation" has the same southern fried look as 2017's Running Wild. You can smell the horse manure, leather boots, leather chaps, and well whiskey from a mile away.

A Violent Separation was shot in Louisiana yet made to look like it all went down in The Show-Me State (I didn't pick up on that initially). It's a little Lifetime network, a little direct-to-video, and sort of low budgeted (watch for fake snowflakes and even faker ground snow). Still, A Violent Separation is involving enough to recommend. "Separation" is mucho "trepidation". Rating: 3 stars.