Texas Killing Fields (2011)

Perfect cast and a good story

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

The joyful confection is coated in a sparkly gloss, bright enough to gleam from the darkest, most cynical corners.

A quite enjoyable thriller. The plot line is nothing special but well executed and the good acting by the two main characters makes the movie quite enjoyable. The chemistry between Morgan and Worthington is good and their individual performances are even better. They deliver what they were payed for. A similar statement can be made for Chloe Grace Moretz. While this isn't her best performance it is still a very intense and deep performance. The only disruptive thing is the side story that goes on and draws attention away from the main plot. While it is slightly connected to the main story line it makes the plot seem rather less important. If the focus would've stayed more on Morgan and Worthington's story line the movie could've gotten even more intense and unfold more carefully. This way we can never really feel for the characters and while the story line is good the emotions stay away. All in all we can say that while we have a solid story and acting the feelings and emotions of the movie are mostly absent and the other elements are rather average therefore we can justify the 6/10 rating.

i guess people dissing this good film are too used to have everything pointed out to them and punctuated with rock music and loud bangs every 3 seconds.i much prefer to use my brains and understand what is going on, on my own. i appreciate a film maker who does not explain everything as if i were a moron. if you disagree, go watch "fast and furious" all over again. this flick is definitely not for you.i found this story very clear. director knows what she is doing, cast is top notch all over. just turn your brains on, and pay attention.in fact, i felt drawn into the investigation, which was very messy, because, you know, in real life things happen in a messy way. humans... are messy. but the movie is never gross. just believable. but if you don't like believable, there is enough "csi" series to help you.as for the "mumbling".,,. the dialog is not as important here as what goes on. the story has images, people, look at them, this is a movie. and on netflix you can use the subtitles, in case you are hard of hearing.

Based on true events, this crime drama relates the story of two cops (Dean Morgan and Worthington) down in the Texan bayous who are investigating a series of grim murders of young women that tie back to the titular area. Shambolic and often incomprehensible, producer Michael Mann's daughter, director Ami Canaan Mann, clearly proves talent isn't genetic. A real shame as despite decent performances from four capable actors, poor camera work and muddled writing completely sink it. The film attempts to go for a gritty, down to earth, often grungy look, befitting the subject, but it instead comes off as on par with a student film, with plenty of lazy, near continuous hand-held cam, bland video quality and tacky lighting. Honestly, it felt more like a cheap reconstruction for 'interchangeable crime documentary show #2383845', and strips a lot of mood and tension out of a film that so badly wants to have style and a sinister ambiance. Having a poor sound mix doesn't help out either.However, Dom Ferrarone's script is the even bigger offender here; it literally has no idea what it wants to be. By turns, it's a drama, a psychological suspense flick, a social indictment on poverty in the area, a family story, a biopic, a morality tale and even a faux- documentary. Its focus is so all over the map that not only can it be frustrating to follow as the investigation always seems to be interrupted by other aspects, leading to an erratic flow of time and poor pacing, but the characters suffer. None of them are interesting, well fleshed out or even that relateable, which should be a 'no-duh' for this sort of film. Biopics/historical films live and die by the humanization of the figures presented, and sadly, this is more like 'Wyatt Earp' or 'For Great Glory' in this regard, where every one is flat. Only difference is those films at least felt coherent and not chopped up like this one.Frankly, I'm going to just wrap this up and just say that 'T.K.F' may be one of the worst biopics and crime films I have ever seen, and considering I'm a period junkie, that's saying a lot. This is one pony Daddy Mann shouldn't have bought for his little angel, and instead, shipped to the glue factory.

Do you know actually anyone who's seen Texas Killing Fields? Exactly. This low profile American thriller is a generic crime story about 2 detectives solving unsolved murders in the Texas killing fields. The film is directed by Ami Canaan Mann, who is the daughter of Michael Mann. This is a mixed bag; perfectly competent but blatantly flawed. TKF has a surprisingly good cast but they're underused. Sam Worthington gives the only remotely interesting performance I've seen from him (A blank void of an actor if I ever saw one). Jeffery Dean Morgan is good in the film, and his character is more interesting but Jessica Chastain is utterly wasted in some pointless side role. Chloe Grace Moretz gives what is probably the best performance in the movie. Ami Canaan Mann has certainly inherited her father's gift for strong cinematography, and the film is better shot than expected. It delivers on the rubbishy goods and offers a reasonably well made slideshow of formulaic crime based thrills with bleak cinematography.TKF, on the negative side, fails to create much interest in the formulaic characters or standard plot. The film simply goes the motions without giving any real depth or dimension to any of its already seen elements. In general, it's not a very interesting story and it's pretty obvious from the start that Sam Worthington and Jeffery Dean Morgan will rescue Chloe Grace Moretz from the villain. It's not a memorable film at all and very forgettable, largely thanks to its dependence on other, superior movies for ideas. With little scope or narrative complexity TKF certainly feels slight but it's a reasonably entertaining way to spend an hour and 45 minutes. Perfectly OK overall, TKF lacks much interesting content but manages to be reasonably entertaining and it is better than expected. Reviews haven't been great, but it's perfectly inoffensive and watchable.6/10