Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		1.0
Overall		3.5

Donnybrook Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf August 24, 2019

Writer/director Tim Sutton wants to bring the pain with “Donnybrook.” With previous credits including “Memphis” and “Dark Night,” Sutton is no stranger to the unpredictability of human behavior, putting some thought into the construction of his screenplay, which not only examines vicious interactions between unstable characters, but takes a good long look at the current state of America, focusing on an impoverished community of addicts and killers. There’s no joy to be found in “Donnybrook,” but there’s not a lot of engrossing anger either. Sutton is making his western here, only everyone is a black hat and they spend the movie cycling through the same reaction to utter despair. It’s a glacial feature, with the helmer mistaking length for profundity, unable to connect with his overall effort to dissect violence as it’s experienced by those who can’t, or won’t, escape abuse.

Jarhead Earl (Jamie Bell) has a master plan to get out of the financial and psychological abyss he’s in. Living with Tammy Earl (Dara Tiller), his addict wife, and his two children, including son Moses (Alexander Washburn), Earl has had enough of misery, working up the courage to steal enough cash to cover the entrance fee for Donnybrook, an underground fight competition. Leaving Tammy Earl and his daughter, Earl hits the road with Moses, traveling to the fight location, only to encounter setbacks with cash flow and shelter. Chainsaw Angus (Frank Grillo) is a meth dealer friendly with Tammy Earl’s weaknesses, also living to abuse his sister, Delia (Margaret Qualley), who’s been beaten into a state of shock. When Delia finally turns the tables on Angus, she grabs a bag of money and makes her way to Donnybrook, hoping to find Earl. Angus, refusing to accept the loss, sets out on his own mission to the fight, killing everyone who tries to stand in his way.

As with a great numbers of productions these days, “Donnybrook” examines the ragged ends of American society, where the poor are ruled by addiction, weighed down by broken spirits. Earl played the game to the best of his ability, going to war for his country, only to come back with PTSD and no professional prospects. He took a wife in Tammy Earl, and brought two children into the world, but he doesn’t have a way to pay for anything, while his spouse traded sanity for meth, becoming a burden. “Donnybrook” highlights the struggle Earl is hoping to literally fight his way out of, corralling his children and erupting when Angus is found in his trailer, sparking antagonisms that play out during the feature. As with everything in the movie, Sutton takes his time to itemize the agony, not just bottoming out Earl, but burying him alive, setting up a mission that requires a robbery to fund and a road trip to complete, soon setting off with Moses to Donnybrook and the possibly of pounding his way to a life- changing fortune.

Considerably darker is the world of Angus, a hothead drug dealer who lives to destroy Delia through all forms of abuse. He’s a monster, and one who doesn’t care who he hurts during his reign of terror, which has distorted Delia to a point of a suicide attempt that Sutton holds on for minutes of screentime. She’s a shell of a woman, trying to play her brother’s games of ultraviolence, but can’t quite master the hardness, inspiring her to take a bite from the haul and make a life of her own, leaving Angus with something to remember her by. “Donnybrook” lingers on Angus’s ghastly actions, which carry on through his trip across the south, where he slices open those providing a ride and pummels others who don’t provide answers fast enough. With Angus, “Donnybrook” grows imposingly dark, but also repetitive, as the pusher tends to repeat himself as the story unfolds, making him a tedious heavy, also finding Grillo a predictable casting choice for the role, as he tends to always plays these types.

Donnybrook Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Darkness dominates this feature. The AVC encoded image (2.39:1 aspect ratio) presentation delivers a viewing experience that's intentionally obscured at times, as much of "Donnybrook" is illuminated by natural light or faint lighting sources. Delineation wrestles with some stretches of solidification, but evening activities aren't completely obscured. Detail fares better in the daylight, which brings out bruised and battered facial surfaces, giving wounds real texture. Clothing retains sheerness and softness. Interiors preserve decoration, including events at the Donnybrook, where rabid crowds are easy to study. Colors retain coolness, aiming for a sobering look at small town America, but signage delivers brighter hues and greenery is intact. Skintones are natural. Some mild banding is detected.

Donnybrook Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 5.1 DTS-HD MA sound mix offers a compelling listening experience for "Donnybrook." Scoring selections are forceful, filling their intended dramatic purpose with precise instrumentation. Soundtrack selections are strong as well, with death metal a common companion on car rides. Dialogue exchanges are direct, preserving emotionality and menace. Surrounds are limited, but atmospherics are engaging, getting a sense of the open world and tighter domestic and fight club spaces. Some mild separation is offered. Low-end isn't worked out in full, but violence registers, along with speeding cars and booming gunshots.

Donnybrook Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• A Theatrical Trailer (2:22, HD) is included.

Donnybrook Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

There's a third player in this wicked game, with Whalen (James Badge Dale) a cop who's never moved on from his vices, adding his corruption to the flow of irredeemable behavior. Whalen is the least compelling of the subplots, with the film already protracted enough, finding Sutton unable to close the triangle of poisoned minds. However, "Donnybrook" perks up when climatic fighting begins, unleashing a battle royal of the needy in a cage, adding a devastating motivation for Earl to try and secure a victory. Sutton does well with brute strength and primal rage, but such enticing intensity isn't spread around the picture. It's all saved for the end, rendering "Donnybrook" inert for the most part, ordering up extended stares and wallowing in despair. Sutton's trying to scrape his way to a new representation of the American Dream, but his artfulness needs some fresh batteries.