| Ida Red | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | John Swab |
| Written by | John Swab |
| Produced by |
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| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Matt Clegg |
| Edited by | John David Allen |
| Music by | David Sardy |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Saban Films |
Release dates |
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Running time | 111 minutes [1] |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Ida Red is a 2021 American crime drama film written and directed by John Swab and starring Josh Hartnett, Frank Grillo, and Melissa Leo.
It had its world premiere at the Locarno Film Festival on August 11, 2021. The film was released in select theatres and video on demand on November 5, 2021 by Saban Films.
Plot
Ida "Red" Walker (Melissa Leo), the biological mother of a criminal family, sits rotting in jail. She is a widow as a result of the bust that nabbed her. Now that she's got cancer, she wants to die in freedom. So she plots both a parole and, true to form, a heist.
Her son is a successful career criminal, ethical Wyatt (Josh Hartnett) and so is brother, psycho Dallas (Frank Grillo). There is also sister Jeanie (Deborah Ann Woll), estranged from Ida because she married kind and dim cop Bodie Collier (George Carroll). Their rebellious teen kid Darla (Sofia Hublitz) is drawn to uncle Wyatt and is romantically involved with local dirtbag Petey (Nicholas Cirillo).
Wyatt's having a hard time after a truck heist goes wrong, and cranky FBI Special Agent Lawrence Twilley (William Forsythe), who is partnering with Collier, is on the trail. Dallas, who appoints himself cleaner, nastily shoots people responsible for the screw-up, or their kin.
Cast
- Melissa Leo as Ida "Red" Walker [2]
- Frank Grillo as Dallas Walker [3]
- Josh Hartnett as Wyatt Walker [2]
- Sofia Hublitz [2] as Darla Walker
- Deborah Ann Woll [2] as Jeanie Walker
- Mark Boone Junior [2] as Benson Drummond
- George Carroll as Bodie Collier [3]
- William Forsythe as Lawrence Twilley [2]
- Beau Knapp [4] as Jay
- Nicholas Cirillo [5] as Petey
- John Swab as Jerry
Production
Principal photography occurred in August and September 2020 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. [6] [7] [8] [9]
Release
It had its world premiere at the Locarno Film Festival in August 11, 2021. [10] It will have its North American premiere at the Fantasia International Film Festival, also in August 2021. [11] Prior to, Saban Films acquired U.S. and U.K. distribution rights to the film. [12] It is scheduled to be released on November 5, 2021.
Reception
Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes gives the film a 33% approval rating based on 18 reviews, with an average rating of 5.10/10. [13]
Angie Han, writing for The Hollywood Reporter, criticized the first scene as "set in tedium and confusion" but highlighted two memorable elements categorizing them in "what-does-this-remind-me-of feeling" part of the film and Grillo's performance. However, Han said that Ida Red does not make much impression and concluded, writing that "[the film] turns out to be just the latest faint echo of stories we’ve heard too many times already." [14]
References
- ^ "Ida Red". Locarno Film Festival. Archived from the original on February 6, 2022. Retrieved July 5, 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f Bang Showbiz (27 August 2020). "Melissa Leo leads the cast of Ida Red". Contactmusic.com. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
- ^ a b TV News Desk (26 August 2020). "Frank Grillo, Melissa Leo & Josh Hartnett Will Star in IDA RED". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
- ^ Wiseman, Andreas (26 August 2020). "'Ida Red': Frank Grillo, Melissa Leo & Josh Hartnett Lead Cast In Action-Thriller Shot During The Pandemic". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
- ^ White, James (26 August 2020). "Melissa Leo, Frank Grillo And Josh Hartnett Starring In Crime Thriller Ida Red". Empire. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
- ^ McDonnell, Brandy (2 September 2020). "Oscar winner Melissa Leo, Frank Grillo and Josh Hartnett starring in Oklahoma filmmaker John Swab's new feature 'Ida Red,' now filming in Tulsa". The Oklahoman. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
- ^ Smith, Michael (27 August 2020). "Tulsa's John Swab announces his fourth film, 'Ida Red,' and he's filming in Tulsa again". Tulsa World. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
- ^ "Feature film 'Ida Red' shot in Tulsa during pandemic". KJRH-TV. 2 September 2020. Retrieved 30 September 2020.
- ^ Brown, Brigid. "Melissa Leo Filmed Crime Thriller 'Ida Red' During Quarantine". BBC America. Retrieved 1 October 2020.
- ^ Grater, Tom (July 1, 2021). "Locarno Unveils 2021 Line-Up: Abel Ferrara's Ethan Hawke-Starrer 'Zeros And Ones' To World Premiere". Deadline. Retrieved July 2, 2021.
- ^ Lang, Jamie (July 21, 2021). "Takashi Miike's 'The Great Yokai War – Guardians' to Close Quebec's Fantasia Festival 2021". Variety. Retrieved July 21, 2021.
- ^ Ritman, Alex (July 8, 2021). "Cannes: Saban Lands Josh Hartnett, Melissa Leo, Frank Grillo Action-Thriller 'Ida Red' for U.S., U.K. (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 8, 2021.
- ^ "IDA RED". rottentomatoes.com. Retrieved 2023-01-08.
- ^ Han, Angie (26 October 2021). "'Ida Red': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 31 October 2021.
