Vince Vaughn is Liam Hemsworth's crime boss in this neo-noir thriller on Netflix

Although he is best known for his comic supporting roles in films such as Whirlpool time machine And Sex drive, Clark Duke went in a completely different direction with his directorial debut Arkansasa neo-noir black comedy released in early 2020. If Duke’s acting skills were mainly in the gross-out comedy genre, Arkansas felt like a conscious return to the style of quirky crime comedies directed by Joel And Ethan Coen that were popular in the 1990s. Duke has undoubtedly succeeded in reviving an outdated genre that has been brought to life mainly in dramatic television over the past decade. The film features Duke's best acting role to date, but Arkansas is worth seeing just because of the unusually dark twist of Vince Vaughn.

In many ways, the success of Arkansas was potentially hampered by several factors outside of its control; a release in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, with most major cinema chains closed, meant the film had to compete with a host of other streaming projects, many of which had much larger marketing budgets. Additionally, the film's low budget and seedy atmosphere may have made it difficult to stand out from the crowd of the many other direct-to-streaming titles in the genre that are released each year and occasionally have a big name associated with them. Arkansas Is an original variation of the neo-noir genre This allows Vaughn to deliver one of his most terrifying performances to date.

Arkansas (2020)

Arkansas is a crime drama about two small-time drug runners, Kyle and Swin, who work for a mysterious Arkansas drug lord named Frog. Their lives take a dangerous turn when a deal goes awry. They must navigate the treacherous underworld and try to outmaneuver both law enforcement and Frog's deadly enforcers.

Release date

May 5, 2020

Duration

117 minutes

What is the crime drama “Arkansas” about?

Based on the novel of the same name by John Brandon, Arkansas follows a talented drug dealer who is promoted to a new level of a criminal organization This forces him to move to Arkansas to work with the more experienced agents of the syndicate. Kyle Ribb (Liam Hemsworth) is paired with quirky local Swin Horn (Duke), while she is paired with local park ranger Bright (John Malkovich), which is part of a conspiracy by the local authorities. However, Ribb realizes that Her mysterious new employer is far more dangerous than anyone could have expected; Vaughn's character, a mysterious gangster named Frog, is known as a villain whose opponents never get a second chance. Although Swin and Ribb discover a stash of cash that could give them the perfect excuse to walk out of the deal, they take the suitcase, even though they know Frog won't let them escape without paying.

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Arkansas is characterized by Build-up to Frog’s first appearancewhich creates a mystique around the character. The film is divided into five chapters, which seems like a reminiscence of crime films from the 1990s, such as pulp Fiction or Things to do in Denver when you're dead. The first chapter, titled “Boredom is Beautiful,” focuses solely on Swin and Ribb investigating the area and attempting to make contacts with local dealers. While there are some light comedic elements in this section, it's obvious that their seemingly simple assignment soon becomes much more complicated. Vaughn is finally on screen in the second section, eponymously titled “Frog,” which serves as a wacky window into his past and explains how he became the most feared gangster in the area. It's a notable shift in tone that suggests that Frog's reputation is based on critical encounters that have shaped him into an unpredictable, occasionally sadistic villain.

Vince Vaughn is really scary in “Arkansas”

Vaughn's Cast Arkansas is perfect because it repeats everything that the audience has come to expect from him as a star. The idea of ​​an experienced comedian taking on a straightforward dramatic role is nothing new; Steve Carell And Jonah Hill For example, received Oscar nominations for Foxcatcher And The art of winning – MoneyballWhat distinguishes Vaughn’s work in Arkansas is that he is occasionally allowed to show the awkward comedic charm that he used to great effect in films such as The Wedding Crashers And SwingersBy drawing the audience in with a sense of familiarity, Vaughn manages to make Frog's psychological torments of his subordinates even more shocking. Although Vaughn often had to use his fast-talking personality as a defense mechanism in his comedic roles, Arkansas allowed him to make a series of menacing threats that are simply haunting. The dialogue is often quite technical when it comes to the details of a criminal organization, and Vaughn's ability to make everything seem authentic conveys how long he has been active.

There is no ambiguity about Frog's intentions, as his very first scene sees him betray a former ally in order to rise in the organization. This not only provided Arkansas with a great villain, but made the heroes of the film more emotional than would otherwise have been the case. Ribb and Swin are both pretty superficial characters who are often willing to take shortcuts to get ahead; while no one would call them morally righteous, they seem like superheroes compared to someone who enjoys cruelty as much as Frog.

Vaughn has managed to take on more dramatic roles in recent years. After the critical disappointment of broad comedies such as The internship And supplierVaughn decided to return to his independent roots with a terrifying performance in the brutal prison film Brawl in cell block 99 and a frighteningly realistic role as a corrupt FBI agent in the underrated biopic Seberg. The generation that grew up with Swingers And Four Christmases may have been shocked by this radical change, but it seems like Vaughn is finally accepting that he is thriving as a character actor. Arkansas Hopefully this won't be the last time he can show his villainous side.

Arkansas can be viewed on Netflix in the USA

Watch on Netflix