MESKADA
aka AS BLOOD RUNS DEEP
Year: 2010
USA: Red Flag Releasing
UK: Metrodome Distribution
Cast: Nick Stahl, Rachel Nichols, Kellan Lutz, Jonathan Tucker, Grace Gummer, James McCaffrey, Laura Benanti, Michael Cerveris, Norman Reedus, Rebecca Henderson, Rebecca Henderson, Charlie Tahan, JD Rosen, Max Antisell, Kathy Searle, David Aaron Baker, Johnny Hopkins, Michael Goodin, Jonathan Whitcup, Greg Sealy, Eric Martin
Director: Kathy Searle
Country: USA
USA: 88 mins
UK: 87 mins
USA Rated: R for language, some violence and a scene of sexuality
UK Certificate: 15 contains strong language and infrequent strong violence
USA Release Date: 3 December 2010 (Limited Release)
UK Release Date: 26 August 2011 (Limited Release)
UK DVD Release Date: 5 September 2011
Synopsis
"Some crimes find their criminals."
The film is a meticulously crafted murder mystery in which detective Noah Cordin (Nick Stahl), a small-town detective must return to his home town and confront the life he left behind.
Noah Cordin is struggling to solve the brutal murder of a boy that occurred during a home burglary in the peaceful, affluent town of Hilliard. The killers left behind no clues at the crime scene, with the exception of a scrap of paper leading Cordin back to his hometown of Caswell. Here, Cordin and county detective Leslie Spencer (Rachel Nichols) consult with Cordin's old friends, all of whom are suffering from the economic troubles that have plunged Caswell into near destitution.
The dead boy's mother, Allison Connor, is a powerful woman in Hilliard and rallies the township together in solidarity to support her and Detective Cordin's efforts to find the killers. As their search fails to turn up a suspect, feverish tensions rise between the towns of Hilliard and Caswell, until the film reaches its shocking climax.
MESKADA captures a snapshot of quintessential American small-town life. The story calls to mind our nation’s history, the brutal clashes over land and territory, the class-divides and the improbable victories for equal opportunity. The film portrays a vivid picture of the rift between characters in two towns, people bound by loyalty, family, community, and a battle born of circumstances beyond their control.
A gripping crime drama in the tradition of NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN and MYSTIC RIVER, the film is a poignant meditation on solidarity and salvation in modern-day America.
