Acclaimed character actressDale Dickey gives vicious predators targeting the elderly a brutal comeuppanceinThe G.The title is a nickname for “granny,” but there’s nothing sweet and doting about her. Stomachs will twist in revulsion as the film’s dark and merciless narrative unfolds with a growing body count. Writer/director Karl R. Hearne pulls no punches, showing the worst of human nature as the strong exploit the weak with zero compunction.The Ggets ugly quickly and stays visceral on the strength of Dickey’s remarkable talent, but fumbles in tying up loose ends during an oddly disjointed third act.
Set in an unnamed small town during winter,The Gopens with Ann Hunter (Dickey) sitting in a doctor’s office getting a physical. She’s terse with the physician, who’s concerned about her husband’s care. Ann couldn’t care less and leaves with a huff. Emma (Romane Denis), her step-granddaughter, waits for “the G” in a waiting room filled with sick seniors. The attendant watches observantly as they leave together.
Don’t Mess with Granny
After a corrupt legal guardian puts her in a care home in order to take her property, a mysterious older woman seeks vengeance with the help of her granddaughter, who calls her ‘The G’.
Emma complains about being stuck at home with her parents on the drive back, wondering aloud whenthe G will come back to their knitting circle. Emma laughs, saying that the other women thought Ann was ruthless. Ann smirks, but confirms that she does target people who’ve wronged her — and if you can’t get to them, their family will be next. Emma brushes off that comment as they arrive at Ann’s house. Both are completely oblivious to the van parked in front.
Ann checks on her husband Chip (Greg Ellwand) before beginningher daily routine of getting drunk on vodka and smoking. Ann promises her bedridden husband that she’ll cut his toenails in the morning before passing out. Later that night, Ann awakens to strangers in their home. They put a bewildered Chip in a wheelchair, and force Ann to get dressed. Rivera (Bruce Ramsay) has a court order declaring that the couple can no longer care for themselves. He’s now their appointed legal guardian, and is relocating them to a nursing home.
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The Ghas a frightening premise that’s not implausible or far-fetched. Hearne, an Irish-Canadian filmmaker known for his debut thrillerTouched, lays out this method of legal kidnapping in early exposition; as it turns out, the unscrupulous doctor chiding Ann for ignoring her health and not taking sufficient care of the debilitated Chip laid the groundwork for the scheme. Once deemed unfit, the couple becomes wards of the state. But their existing property and finances can also be taken to pay for their care, and what’s meant to be a preventive measure isweaponized by the ruthless to extort unwitting seniors. Emma and her parents are astonished this happened right under their noses, but soon realize they face an uphill battle in trying to free Ann and Chip.
The G’sraw and unnerving second act takes the plot in unexpected directions. Scenes of Rivera and his orderlies beating the old and frail for their financial information are cruelty personified, as Ann and Chip learn the hard way that Rivera will use violence to squeeze every penny from his victims. This is nauseating to see, especially when the antagonists are beyond legal reproach. Why is that patient covered in bruises? He must have fallen out of bed.
Merciless Antagonists
Hearne follows both Ann and Emma as they attempt to address the harrowing situation, with decidedly different approaches. Ann’s dark past, and the source of her fierce resolve, are laid bare. She’s got skeletons in her closet, and isn’t nearly as helpless as Rivera thinks. Emma’s efforts also reveal her backstory, but she’s out of her league in dealing with such dangerous and connected people. This is the point of the film where Hearne’s script begins to fray, as supporting characters with different agendas muddy the primary arc and what had been a realistic setup starts to go off the rails.
Dickey portrays Ann as a woman who loves deeply, buthides her feelings under a guarded exterior. She acknowledges her failures, and knows she’s not “nice,” but she’s been a stalwart anchor for her family. Ann’s initial terror and frustration with Rivera’s unfettered evil hardens into a fiery resolve — she knows the deadly cost of this game, and fears for Emma’s safety. Her actions to protect Emma make sense, but these scenes are strangely executed by Hearne, who doesn’t allow the cavalry to act as they should. This is a sizable flaw that leads to an unbelievable ending.
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The G’sviolent conclusion delivers payback in spades with enough casualties to fill a morgue. There’s tremendous loss and a certain degree of satisfaction, but audiences will be left scratching their heads at bizarre turns that aren’t fully explained. One in particular is especially mystifying, and Hearne makes a mistake by not clarifying its outcome. He leaves details to be inferred, probably due to budgetary reasons. But it’s inconclusive and unrewarding in the end.
Hearne does get top marks for crafting gut-punch emotions — imagine your grandparents being imprisoned, attacked and fleeced.The G’simpact is unrelenting, and felt throughout. Dickey’s pivotal to this effectiveness, displaying anger, steely grit and just enough of Ann’s softer side. She’s fantastic, and her magnetic performance is a career highlight.
The Gis produced by 3Buck Productions. It will have a concurrent theatrical and digital release on June 27th from Dark Sky Films.
