A Single Shot is a bit of an odd film. Behind it stands some considerable star power in Sam Rockwell (longtime character actor probably best known for his role as Justin Hammer in Iron Man 2) and William H. Macy, not to mention a slew of other actors like Kelly Reilly (Flight, Sherlock Holmes) and Jason Isaacs (Lucius Malfoy in the Harry Potter films) that seem always seem to be popping up in smaller, but nonetheless memorable, roles. Director David M. Rosenthal and the team of producers are hardly household names, but collectively they have a rather lengthy resume of independent film projects. And yet, the movie, which premiered at the prestigious Berlin International Film festival this past February, has failed to attract theatrical distribution.
Until now, that is. Following a screening at the Tribeca Film Festival last month, A Single Shot has been picked up by distributors Tribeca Film and Well Go USA Entertainment for an August 20th VOD release, to be followed by a limited theatrical run beginning a month later.
Part of the trouble in finding a distributor may have come from A Single Shot‘s marked similarity to No Country for Old Men, the Coen Brothers’ 2007 Best Picture-winning drama based on the novel by Cormac McCarthy. Both films center on a hunter who stumbles onto a fortune following a deadly shooting, and subsequently finds himself contending with violent criminal forces.
While perhaps not quite up to the par of its superlative cousin, A Single Shot is a strong film in its own right. Its atmospheric opening sequence, in particular, showcases Rosethal’s skill as a director and marks him as someone worth keeping an eye on. Hardly a word is uttered in the first ten minutes or more of the movie, and the first time someone speaks is jarring to magnificent effect.
A Single Shot hits theaters September 20.
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