The Samaritan

Well, Samuel L. Jackson is in another movie. I think at this point the only thing we haven’t seen him in is Twilight and Hunger Games, but who knows at this point, I thought I heard him yelling at Katniss during the reaping.

Well, back to movies. The Samaritan follows the redemptive road of former grifter, Foley. After 20 years of being locked up for murdering his best friend and partner during a grift gone wrong, Foley is determined to keep his nose clean. He’s done with the life, but somehow his past keeps coming up from nowhere.

His best friend’s son, Ethan (Luke Kirby),who’s now running his own illegal enterprise, has come knocking, trying to pull Foley back in. His motivations are scattered, is he seeking revenge for his father’s death?

Foley ignores Ethan’s advances, and even meets Iris (Ruth Negga),  a sweet little druggie with a broken soul, and her own apartment. Foley is moving forward, but with every step in the positive, he is haunted, seemingly buried in a drowning sense of self-loathing and anguish. What unfolds is a series of tragic and volatile events that will alter the course of everyone involved.

The Samaritan is a dark film, masking hopeless undertones with a hint of redemption, but only by the most extreme situations and sacrifices. It shows us that there is no fresh start, and that our actions do in fact impact our future and the ability to escape our ghosts lies within our decisions.

Sam Jack plays a flawless roll, and this is probably one of his best films over the past five years. His gritty demeanor and rough exterior personify his quest for peace of mind.

Another NetFlix winner.