I want to spoil this movie! I can't! Let me tell you, you might lose the fun! I really hope you see it for yourself! The acting is all good! In particular, the weaving of the story content is no joke!

So found this one along and thought it looked like a modern western and it has one of my favorite actors in Michael Cudlitz - Shout out to Gross Point Blank- McDonough is always fun as a baddie.

POSITIVES; The cinematography was awesome. It was gritty and had a weird red vibe. It was old school with long shots and let the actors act. The sparse action scenes were cool and the f/x were solid and old school. This was definitely a love letter to old gangster films. The acting for the most part was great. Loved the Hutch role. Billy Blare was awesome.

NEGATIVES; It was billed as an action film. An article I saw said it was a western film too. It is not either. There is action in it and it was made in Texas, I think. But it's not a western. It's closer to a dixie mafia type film. Or like Justified without the action.

I didn't like the music. I appreciate what they were doing but it wasn't my favorite.

The film moves slow and that's okay for some people. But I think the way the movie preview made it look, some will think it's more action.

Overall really cool little gangster film. Some gritty moments too.

7/10.

Everybody has a bad day in "Whitetail" writer & director Derek Presley's "Red Stone," a grueling small time crime caper, co-starring Neal McDonough, Michael Cudlitz, and Dash Melrose. Mind you, nobody is ever ready for fate to intervene for good or evil in their affairs. Ironically, our hero is a paid assassin, Boon (Neal McDonough of "Walking Tall"),who has obliged his boss too many times. Boon starts his day at a nursing home. He has to change the status of his mom's health care. An affable admin cannot authorize any changes without conferring first with Boon's older brother. Sadly, Boon explains his brother's entire family has died in a tragic car accident. Now, Boon is the sole surviving family member. His Alzheimer's afflicted mom no longer recognizes him. Instead, she thinks Boon is really her milk man from 1956! Boon's cell phone chimes as the admin gushes apologies. The godfather of crime in Navarro County, Texas, Jed Hayward (Michael Cudlitz of "Grosse Pointe Blank"),has urgent business for Boon. Virtually everybody in the county is either on Jed's payroll or benefits from his bribes. This includes Sheriff Quincy (Jason Douglas of "Jack Reacher: Never Go Back"),who is hopelessly in debt to Jed's casinos. Boon tells Jed about his brother's family funeral and pushes for the day off. Nothing doing says Jed who needs him for a delicate job. Reluctantly, Boon bows to Jed's wishes. "Red Stone" covers a lot of ground during its brisk 97 minutes, with its action taking place between early morning and late afternoon. Comparably, Presley's "Red Stone" resembles Quentin Tarantino's "Pulp Fiction" (1994) because both chronicle the consequences of unsavory criminal conduct. At fadeout, not only do the most sadistic but also the most sympathetic bite the dust in this bullet-riddled melodrama.

"Red Stone" opens as one of Jed's underlings, Danny Adams (Dominic Scott Kay of "Midnight Clear"),has second thoughts about serving as a snitch to FBI Agent, Tanner (Mike Dopud of "Deadpool 2"),at a rendezvous deep in the woods. Meantime, Danny's smarmy teenage brother, Motley (Dash Melrose of "Ida Red"),loses his job as a grocery store worker because he was caught red-handed on video surveillance stealing a six-pack. Motley's boss calls Sheriff Quincy after Motley storms out of his office. Motley doesn't get far before Sheriff Quincy confronts him about the stolen suds. A radio dispatch call curtails their banter, and Quincy is needed elsewhere. Later, Motley is surprised when Danny picks him up out of the blue and warns him they must leave town. Not only has Danny stolen a prized ruby from Jed, but he has also been singing to the Feds like a canary. No sooner has Danny picked up Motley than Hutch (Billy Blair of "Operation Overlord") spots him. Danny hasn't been answering his cell phone, and Hutch forces him to halt. Hurriedly, Danny conceals his little brother beneath blankets in the back seat of his four-door truck. Danny warns Motley to keep quiet. Hutch rides with Danny as they head to Jed's sprawling estate. After they arrive, Jed takes Hutch's seat and chats with Danny. Motley listens fearfully. Suddenly, Jed kills Danny with one shot. Fear paralyzes Motley while Hutch takes Danny's truck to be crushed. Meanwhile, Jed's goons carve Danny up with a chainsaw so his body will fit into a barrel. Soaking Danny's remains with an accelerant, they set it ablaze. Jed wants Boon to find Motley for him, while they watch Danny go up in smoke.

By this time, Motley has stuffed a backpack with essentials, including his father's urn. Danny told him he had stashed the ruby in their father's ashes. Motley encounters Agent Tanner but refuses to cooperate. Later, he changes his mind. Meantime, Boon and Jed have grown irritable toward each other, and the crime boss rankles at Boon's arrogance. Boon misses Motley at Danny's trailer but catches up with him at Paul's house. Paul (Ace Anderson of "Party Hype") was Danny's closest friend. Motley suspects Paul wants the ruby, and they tangle over it. Boon bursts in on them and shoots Paul. Motley escapes and contacts Danny's girlfriend Emily (Alexandria DeBerry of "Fashionista") about his brother and the Bureau. Later, Boon and Hitch abduct Emily and grill her about Danny. Afterward, Hutch blows Emily's head off without blinking, and Boon reprimands him. Eventually, they corner Motley. Hutch's trigger finger starts itching again. Finally, Boon is fed up with Hutch. Boon is finished taking Jed's orders, too. Our hero finds himself at a mental crossroads, suffering a crisis of conscience, pondering the prospect of turning over a new leaf, though it may be too late.

Writer & director Derek Presley has penned a violent crime thriller about one man's decision to go his own way rather than blindly accommodate others. You'll find few loose ends in this abrasive, character-driven melodrama. Neal McDonough stands out in a largely unknown cast, while Michael Cudlitz makes a hopelessly reptilian villain. Strong performances, sturdy characters, and dire predicaments highlight Presley's slowly-paced, low-budget B-movie. The ironic ending to "Red Stone" may bug some spectators, but this engrossing melodrama qualifies as a better film than you might imagine.