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A Violent Separation

Play trailer 1:54 Poster for A Violent Separation 2019 1h 46m Mystery & Thriller Crime Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
18% Tomatometer 11 Reviews 72% Popcornmeter 50+ Ratings
In a small Montana town, police deputy Norman Young covers up a murder committed by his brother, Ray. When Norman falls in love with the victim's sister, Frances, family bonds are tested.
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A Violent Separation

Critics Reviews

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Noel Murray Los Angeles Times 05/17/2019
Here though, directors Kevin and Michael Goetz and screenwriter Michael Arkof have delivered something largely devoid of style or narrative tension, where everyone's fates seem drearily predetermined. Go to Full Review
Frank Scheck The Hollywood Reporter 05/16/2019
Unfortunately, the themes don't resonate in sufficiently powerful fashion to compensate for the film's sluggish pacing and strained melodramatics. Go to Full Review
Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews 09/12/2020
C+
B-film thriller (more a melodrama). Go to Full Review
Todd Jorgenson Cinemalogue 12/27/2019
While the pace slows to a crawl, we're left to sympathize with the moral dilemma facing characters unworthy of our emotional investment. Go to Full Review
Frank Swietek One Guy's Opinion 05/21/2019
C
A tale of familial trouble in America's heartland that's actually quite well-made but too slow and inert to carry much emotional pull. Go to Full Review
Alex Saveliev Film Threat 05/17/2019
6/10
Goetz' latest feature may get bogged down by a flat, made-for-TV look/feel, yet it manages to hold all of its threads together until its inevitable denouement. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Frank B Aug 31 Many people found the ending abrupt, but I thought it was quietly powerful. The sheriff clearly knew what happened, yet his final words to the deputy (“When will your brother be coming back home?” … “He won’t be” … “I figured as much”) showed his satisfaction with a different kind of justice. He didn’t press further, choosing to let family loyalty and fate settle things. The deputy’s wife also knew, but her silent choice to leave the door wide open as she walked inside spoke volumes. It symbolized her acceptance of what had happened, and her decision to move forward for the sake of their unborn child. The film doesn’t offer neat, courtroom-style closure, but a more authentic one: sometimes families protect their own, and communities quietly accept it. That moral ambiguity felt real, and that’s why the ending worked for me. See more T K Jul 31 Great acting in this, good job by the cast. I feel like the story deserved a more complete ending. The last 20 minutes felt a bit crammed, it felt like it was just wrap up the story. But overall a decent watch. See more Alexandrite U 03/07/2024 I enjoyed the movie. The acting was really good. Only complaint would be the ending. I want to know what happend. Other than that a fun time. See more Tina A 01/21/2024 The movie itself is okay, but I just couldn't get past the fact that the film is set in Missouri (which does NOT look like any part of Missouri I know) and practically every scene show Norman in his Deputy uniform with arm patches showing the immediately recognizable shape of the state of Texas. It's hard to watch 2 hours of such a flagrant screw up. See more steve d 12/12/2022 The cast is strong but the story slow. See more jelisije j 11/17/2021 One of those movies that surprises you of how a simple story can leave a lasting impression by not going down the predictable route and just takes it time to develop the story and it characters. A pleasant surprise indeed. See more Read all reviews
A Violent Separation

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Movie Info

Synopsis In a small Montana town, police deputy Norman Young covers up a murder committed by his brother, Ray. When Norman falls in love with the victim's sister, Frances, family bonds are tested.
Director
Kevin Goetz, Michael Goetz
Producer
Dan Clifton, Christopher Watkins, Kevin Goetz
Screenwriter
Michael Arkof
Distributor
Screen Media Films
Production Co
Productivity Media, Cliffbrook Films, Screen Media Ventures
Genre
Mystery & Thriller, Crime, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
May 17, 2019, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
May 17, 2019
Runtime
1h 46m
Aspect Ratio
Flat (1.85:1)
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