Goodland

Released May 11, 2018

1h 24m

Crime

Drama

Mystery & Thriller

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When a stranger arrives the same day a body is discovered outside of town, a local sheriff tries to piece together a string of events that don't quite add up.

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ronald h

As a loyal defender of low budget indie films, I tend to grade on a curve. But Goodlands still has a lot to offer, in spite of a few flaws. Goodland is a small Kansas town in which the biggest problems are usually coyote sightings. But one day, Sheriff Gaines (played convincingly by Cinnamon Shultz) gets a call about a dead body in a cornfield. The man apparently passed out drunk and was run over by a combine driven by a hapless farmer. Around the same time, photographer Ergo Raines (Matt Weiss) appears in town, claiming that he's shooting pics of rural small town America for a book. No big spoiler: He's up to something else. The plot is tight and it unfolds logically, as Gaines eventually uncovers the real truth, which I won't reveal here. The actors, largely unknown, are pretty impressive. Shultz is captivating on screen. Some scenes have a bit of awkward dialogue and could have been tuned up a bit, but overall, you won't be rolling your eyes. Instead, you'll be following the story. A sub plot featuring a horny teen girl (Sara Kennedy, who is way too old for the part) working at the motel where Raines is staying seems irrelevant, but it turns out to be a key point. There's a nice twist near the end that I surely didn't coming. And the climactic scene takes place--where else?--in a cornfield. As to the very last scene, some thought it was too abrupt, but it's certainly clever: It ties directly to the very first scene in the film. Writer / director Josh Doke has everything well under control, and Iain Trimble's cinematography is beautiful---far better than expected for a small indie feature. Ignore the critics who are calling this film a Coen brothers knockoff. I'm tired of hearing that about every noir film in the past 20 years. Goodland has enough merit to stand on its own. No, it's not perfect, but it's damn watchable, and it will hold your attention right to the end.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

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Audience Member

decent adventure/action. Fargo major league writing, actors, cinematography. Goodland "small ball" script, actors, scenery. Not bad. Not good.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

02/05/23

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Audience Member

Nice to see a crime/western/noir set in an under seen location like Western Kansas. Definitely coen brothers-y, but that's a good thing. Main actress is really good. I love these kinds of movies, I hope they keep making them.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/19/23

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Audience Member

loved it! great little western

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/22/23

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Audience Member

Good director. Performances by little known actors very convincing. Good editing.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/12/23

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Audience Member

I liked it! Kinda Coen-brothersy. Nice to see something set in Western Kansas for once. Beautiful to look at! mystery kept me engaged.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/23/23

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Josh Doke

Director

Matt Weiss

Ergo Raines

Cinnamon Schultz

Sheriff Georgette Gaines

Sara Kennedy

Ida Flowers

Jason Curtis Miller

Guy

Kip Niven

Hal Bloom

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Goodland: Teaser Trailer 1

1:01

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Dennis Schwartz

Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

It's not Fargo, it's Kansas.

Rated: B

Jun 9, 2020

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M. Faust

The Public (Buffalo)

If the Coen brothers classic of rural noir and jet black humor set a high bar for those who follow it, debuting writer-director Josh Doke acquits himself admirably.

May 23, 2018

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Jared Mobarak

The Film Stage

The result is a tense thriller with noir undertones revealing a more complex web than we ever could predict.

Rated: C+

May 23, 2018

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Synopsis

When a stranger arrives the same day a body is discovered outside of town, a local sheriff tries to piece together a string of events that don't quite add up.

Director: Josh Doke
Screenwriter: Josh Doke
Distributor: Parade Deck Films
Production Co: Parade Deck Films, Rockhaven Films
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): May 11, 2018, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 1, 2018
Box Office (Gross USA): $32.1K
Runtime: 1h 24m

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