HELLHOUND -- Weak Script Undermines Weighty Action-Thriller

Review by Daniel Lima

A professional killer botches up a hit, putting him on the defensive and forcing him to take on some very dangerous people if he wants to live, all while he ruminates on the nature of his work. No, this isn’t the latest Fincher movie — it’s Hellhound, the directorial debut of Joshua Dixon. Starring Louis Mandylor as an old pro ready to retire, this thriller may suffer from comparisons to similar works, but there’s enough here to separate it from the true dregs of the direct-to-video bin.

Set and shot mainly in Thailand, where the director has lived for years, the film takes a more studious and serious approach to the material than many of its peers. Much time is spent on heady conversations about the nature of the violent work these men do, of good and evil, and the existence of a higher power. Just about every character gets one monologue where they retell some horrible part of their personal history that led to their bleak and cynical outlook on life. None of the actual words are particularly memorable or striking, but the performances go a long way in selling the weariness and turmoil within each man.

Joshua Dixon announces himself as a particularly disciplined hand behind the camera. There is a weight to each scene in Hellhound — a portentous sense of resignation and finality that perfectly reflects the bleak outlook of the characters that populate this world. It’s a fine line between maintaining a sense of importance and drab self-seriousness, but Dixon admirably says on the right side of that line.

Generally, if a DTV thriller like this adopts a more somber tone, the action suffers, as if a choice was made in production to focus on the drama underlining these men of violence over the actual violence. Surprisingly, particularly from a first-time director, this has some genuinely inspired set pieces. The fight scenes are all well-choreographed, each with a different feel: a knockdown brawl in a hotel, a more refined yet brutal martial arts bout, a parking lot beatdown. Each makes careful use of the environment, the skills of the performers, and the energy that a proper cut can bring. Even the shootouts, an often dull affair even in studio films, actually use the geography of a setting to its advantage.

Unfortunately, the one unavoidable Achilles heel is the script. Beyond the weakness of the dialogue, often amounting to a litany of cliches and navel-gazing, many scenes feel entirely superfluous to the film. This is particularly noticeable in the scenes that attempt to flesh out the very scary-looking villain, a flashback to childhood, and time spent with a secret lover, none of which add to his complexity and all of which feel like a complete non sequitur. Had the film positioned him more as a co-lead and divided the runtime by contrasting his life to Mandylor’s, perhaps that could have worked. Instead, the movie suffers from a horribly uneven pace.

It’s a shame because were it not for that one crucial flaw, Hellhound would be a cut above its peers. A sure hand directing, a good ensemble, and impressive action go a long way in making for a compelling film of this ilk. Even recognizing the flaws, I look forward to whatever Dixon does next. ​

Hellhound is available on digital January 12.

Rating: 3/5​