Starring: Thomas Haden Church, M. Emmet Walsh, Melissa Leo, Elisabeth Shue, James Rebhorn, Bates Wilder, Keith David, Meagan Hawkes, Robert Wahlberg, Pruitt Taylor Vince
Review: After being contacted by an old flame (Elisabeth Shue), Don McKay (Thomas Haden Church), a lonely high school janitor, returns to his hometown after a tragedy 25 years earlier. But this homecoming brings McKay much more than he bargained for.
Don McKay is an odd duck, both as a character and a movie. Odd is truly the best way to describe this one. The story, the characters, even the dialogue are just so odd, but in a good way. It keeps you guessing, stays mysterious, and shocks you repeatedly as it goes along.
Thomas Haden Church is such an underrated actor and here he's the lead character, but plays it like a character actor part; which is perfect for the material. M. Emmet Walsh, Melissa Leo, and Elisabeth Shue, especially, are swinging for the fences with their over-the-top performances that really grab your attention and get you asking yourself, "What's their deal?" Oh, and how can I forget about Keith David. He's solid, fun, and brings a lot of humor to a darkly, thrilling flick. He's not in it enough for my money.
Now, I don't want to get into the plot out of fear of spoilers. All I'll say is that everyone seems to be hiding something from everyone else whether it be big or small in the grand scheme of things. So everyone, every conversation, every interaction, or observation is shrouded in mystery which is kinda fun, and frustrating at the same time.
Don McKay will not please a wide audience, for sure. It's a bizarre mystery movie, which is my jam, but if you're not into flicks such as these you might get irritated by the pace, mood, and unusual story. I do recommend this one for film fans looking for an offbeat mystery involving shady characters with dark secrets told in an atypical style.
Fun Fact: In the early portion of the movie, Don McKay is shown working as a janitor at a school called "Premat Prep", likely a playful reference to the film's Director of Photography, Phil Parmet.