Fresh Kills

Fresh Kills reaches through the established perimeters of a well-known genre to extract a sympathetic, gut-wrenching, and at times abrasive look into the lives of the typically obscured wives and daughters of the mob. Well written, well cast, with convincing production design and on location shooting, Fresh Kills fairly exhales the atmosphere of 1980/1990s Staten Island, NY. First-time writer/director Jennifer Esposito handles the reins with aptitude and steers the narrative in a way that invites the viewer to not only empathize with the women on screen but to relate to the challenges they face in bearing the burden of their predetermined roles. Authentic performances by the cast flesh out the on-screen characters and leave indelible impressions of their existence that won't fade when the credits roll. Fresh Kills is a notable film. Not perfect- but good. Very, very good.

Ok I love supporting small films, Especially when they surprise me. Now this one was a little bit of a mess. They were trying to establish the sister strong bond so you're unsure if you're following the sisters or father or the mother like where is this leading so it's kind of everywhere for a awhile and you're just trying to figure out the story. I think they should have delved into the fathers violent life and shown that a little bit more to get the gist of what the girls are not realizing the family that their in BUT acting is good. They needed a better story but the ending scene was fantastic, very strong scene between mother and daughter and whoever picked the song did an excellent job. I've never heard the song but it's was perfect for that scene. I probably rewound it three times just to watch the final scene. That was really fantastic. Kudos to you guys for doing that. In the last moment, it really all comes together of a mom who should've done that along time ago and the look between mother and daughter was the love and understanding that passed between them. I hope this crew does more movies just work on getting a better story.

FRESH KILLS is the BEST film I have seen on the festival circuit in the last 15 years. A gritty, gut wrenching story about two sisters that are stuck in a life they didn't choose... Their father's mob world. BUT, It's NOT a Mob film.

The depth of character these two young actors (Emily Bader & Odessa A'zion) share in their performances, explodes from the script on to the screen, via the expert direction of Esposito. Like all classic Independent Films, FRESH KILLS is intimate and raw, while bursting at the seams with story, content and style. It should be on everyone's must see list for 2024 and beyond!

What a great side of a story that has never been on filmed (well at least that I know of) starts a bit slow, but worth the wait....i grew up in the 70's. My father owned a bar in the combat zone in Boston. I was there weekly. I can understand the "different" life style now that I am an adult.sad times now cause we don't even know our neighbors. I recall walking in the front door of any neighbors house to grab sugar milk bread etc and walking out not even thinking it was an issue. Our dog walked the neighborhood for hours til the school bus came home. Within a 5 mile radius everyone knew all families, kids,pets,extended family members,etc.

I saw this film on opening night. The audience was comprised of Jennifer's family, friends and film students. All who were told to post glowing reviews online. THE TRUTH: THIS FILM WAS TERRIBLE. Plot was barely there, and what you get is endless stereotypical Italian profanity laced dialogue. And the male and female characters essentially speak in the same manner, as if the writer is using the same voice for all characters. This goes to the inexperience in the writing and directing. 2 hours long, 30 of which could have been cut. This is basically a self-funded student film. Tubi is waiting for you.