Uncle John (2015) User Reviews (24)

Worth Seeing

[nowego · 6/10 · 25 September 2015]

After reading the reviews (2 of them) and seeing very little negativity about this movie I watched it and happily enjoyed it.

Not really a mystery and for most it would be a bit on the slow side, but mature audiences that like a good story would enjoy this.

John Ashton of Beverly Hills Cop fame (enjoyed his acting ever since) holds the movie together well.

Some of the acting would be regarded by many as a bit amateurish and the movie definitely was shot on a very low budget, but it still holds together well.

Give it a try, you will not regret it.

FYI - Uncle John is in Wisconsin - not Illinois

[currion · 7/10 · 23 January 2016]

This is a response to the reviewer who said that the film did a good job depicting rural Illinois. The small town is set in Wisconsin. Uncle John's truck has Wisconsin plates and filming was done in Lodi Wisconsin which is probably a 2 hour 45 minute drive from downtown Chicago.

Sauk Prairie Recreation Area is an actual place northwest of Lodi. Devil's Lake is not far from there so there is actual terrain with bluffs similar to the one that Uncle John visits, which is likely the site where Dutch killed John's sister Dede (Ben's mother). We know she fell to her death there and supposedly jumped. The motive for John killing Dutch may very well have been a confession by Dutch that he killed her.

There was a comment made in the movie that Dutch had been 'snaking' Dede which suggests that he was pursuing her but that they likely did not have a relationship.

Danny telling John that Dutch told him Dede jumped because maybe she was overwhelmed by being a mom may have been a way for Danny to try to get John to reveal something.

I don't think it was clear anywhere that John's sister was actually married to Dutch or that he was the father of Ben since it was Uncle John that raised Ben.

Agree that the film did a good job depicting a small Wisconsin community.

Quietly Amazing Indie Drama

[TwistedContent · 7/10 · 29 February 2020]

Before going on to direct a whole season of "Channel Zero" and commit to some other tv-series, director Steven Piet put on the table his directional debut (also his first and only writing credit) "Uncle John" - part subtle, romantic drama and part small town folk murder tale. "Uncle John" might be lesser than the sum of its good parts, but I can hardly call it disjointed, and its strength resides mainly in atmosphere, performances and cinematography.

In "Uncle John", there are two story lines evolving simultaneously, one concentrates on Uncle John himself as he tries to get through the days in his small, rural town all the while trying to avoid suspicion of murder (which he sure commited, not a spoiler at all). John Ashton provides an absolute stand out, career-defining performance. There's not a whole lot of action or dialogue in his story, with John it's just nice to be with him as he deals with his misdeeds and drives lonely around the country roads. Atmosphere's just right, careful, humble, effective & so is the cinematography, so simple and thought through that it's near perfect. At the same time, we follow John's nephew Ben as he spends his days in the big city, working as a digital designer and slowly falling in love with his new colleague Kate. More dialogue and a steady injection of romance, all to a good measure, until they go on an impromptu trip to visit Uncle John. "Uncle John" doesn't offer the substance some may expect and perhaps questions don't get answered, but the focus, for the whole runtime, is unmistakably fixed on the emotional journeys of the characters, with (can't emphasize on it enough) the absolute highlight being John Ashton and his character's subtle, contained and humble yet nuanced performance / character arc. Of course, the pacing of "Uncle John" is slow. Worth it though. When both stories join together, the conclusion doesn't result in fireworks as I was expecting, which is a good thing. I was anticipating the opposite of what happened, and what happened was so much more in sync and spirit with the rest of the movie.

"Uncle John" is a quiet and subtle film, a beautiful in its own way indie drama. The goods it provides are good looks, subtly effective vibes and great performances. My rating: 7/10.

Pretty good

[Red_Identity · 3 January 2016]

I feel like this was a story that could have used a lot more refining around the edges, as to make the mystery aspect hit a lot harder and to make it more effective. As it is, it's still pretty good. I do admire it's resistance to go for easy, cheap thrills, as overall the film never goes into places that you expect it to go, or to have twists and turns that are the usual for this type of film. The acting is very good I think, all believable in their parts especially the lead actor playing Uncle John. I do think that the film would leave a lot of audiences wanting more, and expecting a lot more out of it. As it is however, I do feel like it leaves a strong enough impact to really be recommended.

Unlikely Killer, Unlikely Killings

[thesar-2 · 7/10 · 7 January 2018]

I had an Uncle John once. He was rich and he bought us things. Until...

...Well, that's family drama and I probably best not lay it all out for you. THIS Uncle John is much different. At least, I hope.

Two stories collide here. One: Title Character has to deal with both one dead bully and the deceased's brother. And two: a budding relationship in the workplace. Feel these don't belong together? Yeah, I agree.

But, it works, nonetheless. Both intersect as said Uncle brought up the male-half of the couple. It's well-shot, acted, made and interesting. Is it horror? Not sure. Has horror elements, though - dead bodies, murder, cover-ups, police investigations, etc.

I was kinda duped, though. I subscribe to SHUDDER, a "horror" channel via my Amazon Prime membership and I get a ton of my horror via that service. This was promoted on there and I'm always keen to new (to me) scary movies. It's not really horror - well, maybe 10%.

Mostly it's a drama. And comedy. The other half story involving the couple definitely has an absolute star in the making: Not-Mark Duplass. He was funny and charismatic as hell. I *could* watch an entire movie based on his comedic timing and romantic endeavors.

Recommended, but be prepared for an extreme slow-burn "drama/comedy/horror." It's not for everyone, but it's still realistic and suspenseful at times. Not to mention, Not-Mark Duplass and Uncle John, himself, is worth the whole trip.

***

Final thoughts: I guess the joke's old, or so a coworker told me, but when I heard it in this movie, I laughed so hard, I had to post it online immediately. It got a huge response, all-of-a-sudden and one of my biggest posts to date. Don't want to ruin/spoil it here, but suffice to say: Listen to your doctor!

The camera lures in the viewer creating good suspense

[annuskavdpol · 6/10 · 5 October 2017]

Uncle John is a movie where there is quite a bit of suspense. The suspense is built up by the use of the camera and by the play of assumptions. For example, at the start of the movie, the camera shows that a man is stumbling to the end of a dead-end and he walks into the river whilst another man is following him. The camera does not zoom in on the scab on the back of the victim's head but the second man behind him is carrying a paddle - which looks like the weapon that caused the death of the first man. As the story unfolds the camera focuses on micro dialogues which zooms in on details. For example, when Uncle John goes to the parking space of Dutch's car, his brother is already sitting there - and says something to the effect of: it is known that killers often come back to the place they placed false evidence or where they killed their victims. Dutch's brother then stares at Uncle John. It seemed obvious to me Dutch's brother was aware Uncle John was the killer. The use of the bonfire and the isolation of people in small towns added to the setting.

Review

[gregcook-65096 · 7/10 · 11 October 2019]

John Ashton is brilliant. The close ups tell so much.

Like Watching Paint Dry

[smsenna · 4/10 · 1 February 2016]

I tried to give this movie a chance. It started off well, but the story just dragged on, and I felt like I was watching paint dry... There was an opportunity by the director, or the writer to make this movie more interesting to viewers by expanding on the back story of several characters mentioned in the movie and how they connected with the main character. If they had done that, it certainly would have made the movie more interesting and would have given viewers a clearer story as to why the main character, made the choices he made. To me, that missing information, was the key to the entire story and it wasn't told... at all. Thus making the film as a whole, hollow!

Near perfect little film!

[munn269 · 9/10 · 17 February 2016]

I watch this knowing nothing about it as I like to do with smaller, indie type films.I watched this expecting a horror movie, it isn't. The acting was fantastic, especially John Ashton who I hadn't seen since way back when he was in Beverly Hills! The pacing was slow but kept me glued the whole time. The sub story which runs along separately from the main story was great. Casting was perfect. Could quite easily pass as a Cohen Bros film, very Fargo-ish. The last 20 minutes are so tense my heart was thumping! Beautifully shot, I will be checking out the director's other work real soon and I just hope this gets a UK blu ray release. A real gem of a film that looks great, sounds great and shows yet again that you don't need £100 million to make a great film! Bravo!

Interesting intentions but doesn't have substance...zzzzzzz...

[CelluloidDog · 5/10 · 10 January 2016]

This actually won an award? Of course, (for cinematography?!) at a small film festival where there isn't much going on. This film is basically about not much. Something about a murder? Maybe. We assume it's a murder but there is no evidence since the film opens with an ambiguous scene. And perhaps the whole film is ambiguous. It's never clear if the opening was a murder, it's never clear to Danny if his brother was murdered. It appears more like Dutch, the town's bully, was depressed and wanted to atone for his misdeeds and doesn't happen upon Uncle John but commits suicide and Uncle John covers it up. The lake was dragged and nothing was discovered. The lead suspect was a dead end. Ben's relationship with Kate is ambiguous. Is it romance or friendship?

This film spends most of the movie in limbo, not going anywhere. Like a sailboat with no wind, in dead calm. Ambiguous relationship/romance, ambiguous murder/suicide, ambiguous uncle (he has a hidden side), ambiguous writing, and more. Makes for a below average movie. It's one redeeming quality is the fairly good acting. John Ashton does a solid job of acting (not award-winning but quietly understated) and the young Ben and Kate (Alex Moffat and Jenna Lyng) are charming and have good chemistry. It has interestingly good intentions but just doesn't cut it. It's like the protagonist of the film, the youthful Ben, who is unsure of many things. It lacks confidence and closure. But it tries.

Which for me is tragic, since I tend to favor independent and international films, rather than the standard Hollywood fare. But this admittedly does not come close to many good films out there. If you skip this movie, you wouldn't miss anything. Real rating? anywhere from 4.7-5.4.

A good interpretation of what can really happen.

[cblazo · 8/10 · 29 January 2016]

Although this movie can be a bit slow and the two plots may seem to be polar opposites at first. They come together and the film becomes deeper. This picture demonstrates what could be going on at your neighbors house. I loved the quaintness, the true location shooting and how real the film seems due to the low budget. The main characters act fairly well, but there are some flaws in the supporting actors. John Ashton was great as Uncle John and portrayed the character's turmoil and quiet strengths very well. The nephew, played by Alex Moffat, was upbeat and witty and took the movie in a different direction with his quest for love. I think the film is a great movie for buffs or people flipping through the independent section of Netflix. Don't expect gore or moments of suspense. This movie is strictly about cause and effect.

Small film, awkward

[sergelamarche · 3/10 · 13 December 2017]

The acting seemed a bit too awkward to be true. Although maybe, the truth is awkwardness. The uncle is an efficient and thinking killer but we don't see any motive for his first murder. Plus, it is known that murderers don't start at old age. So is he a long time serial killer? Should be. The bits with the lovers made me cringe, so phoney it looked. It seemed that the author could not make a film that could catch some attention without having a killer in it. I see this as amateurish but I do know some small town killers that were loved... or feared. They looked like this but have started killing in their youth. They were killing less when old.

Not Much Happening In Smalltown, USA

[GManfred · 23 September 2015]

Life is easy in Smalltown. Meet the guys at the Coffee Shop and shoot the breeze, drive around in the pickup, do a little woodworking in the garage. That's how most of "Uncle John" goes, and it's a tough slog. All the action, such as it is, takes place in the first and last 5 minutes of this indie production, which is billed as a crime/drama/mystery. I would debate the last designation, as there is no mystery; that would indicate tension, action and suspense. Be assured none of these are in evidence.

Uncle John has killed the town bully and disposed of his body almost before the opening credits are finished. It is amazing how much time can be frittered away on irrelevant padding; by my watch, almost 100 minutes worth. There is a dead end love story between UJ's nephew and his co-worker/girlfriend, and a great deal of time is spent on the two. Add in the above-mentioned breeze-shooting, driving around and woodworking and you have a 'snoozer', to borrow a phrase.

It is a shame, because the picture is handsomely mounted, photography quite good and the acting is especially good, particularly John Ashton in the title role and Ronnie Gene Blevins as the heavy. Blevins' character comes off like Jud Fry in "Oklahoma", truculent and unlikeable. For these reasons I rated it a six, recommending it so you can make up your own mind.

The weak link in the production is the plot; Director Steven Piet was unable to holler "Get me rewrite!" as they say in Hollywood legend - he wrote it, too.

Worst Sound Editing Ever

[xhidden99 · 5/10 · 17 January 2016]

Maybe it's a good movie maybe it's not. Hard to tell as it has the worst sound editing of any movie ever. When there's dialog you have to crank volume to 11 to hear anything and when there's not, it's so bizarrely loud it actually rattles the windows.

Others have noted the 'deliberate', 'slow', 'patient' pace of the movie. Short form, it's boring. Bad writing that can't or won't fill in anything and instead the 'story' relies on the audience to sort of imagine or write their own story and backstory in their heads. And of course long long stretches of sad indie music and tinkling piano keys.

Dunno, maybe this blend of art-house indie mumblecore is for some people.

excellent

[remembervhs · 9/10 · 24 September 2015]

There's a lot to like about this movie.

Its deliberate pace will alienate some viewers. Others will appreciate the artful way the back-story is unveiled and the lack of up-front exposition. The performances are all excellent, but John Ashton steals the show as the title character. The direction and photography are fantastic as well.

I found the structure interesting, and was surprised at the some of the choices that were made. Many films follow different story lines and bring them together for a definitive conclusion. In Uncle John, the two story lines do pass by each other but they don't merge. And after their brief meeting, they go their separate ways.

I found the story following Ashton's character to be the more interesting to of the two and I believe a movie could have been successfully made using that storyline alone. Still, this film works and I will definitely check out Steven Piet's next.

If you do enjoy Uncle John, I would give this film a try:

Small Town Murder Songs- http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1429392/? ref_=nv_sr_1

Never caught fire

[Prismark10 · 3/10 · 20 March 2019]

Uncle John has two finely acted but contrasting storylines. It makes for a diverting but padded film that is also dull.

John is played by John Ashton of Beverley Hill's Cop fame. A respected well liked handyman in a small town. John might had killed a man called Dutch and certainly has disposed of his body. Dutch was the town bully who once dated John's sister who died in murky circumstances. Dutch's hot headed brother Danny thinks John might know more about his brother's disappearance.

In Chicago, Ben is a graphic designer at a media company. He becomes attracted to a new employee Kate, who he works with an campaign for a brand of yogurt. The trouble is Kate has a rule not to fraternise with fellow workers.

One day Ben makes an impromptu visit with Kate to his Uncle John. Ben hopes to romance Kate while John has unfinished business with Danny.

The movie's twin plot left me puzzled as I tried to figure out the connection. The film does not want to give much by way of exposition which also leaves it without substance.

A daring gem of an indie and finally a proper showcase for John Ashton

[bob_meg · 10/10 · 29 September 2015]

John Ashton is one of those supremely gifted character actors that constantly find themselves in movies not quite worthy of their talents. The litmus test is this: Search through Ashton's film resume here on IMDb and find movies you've seen that he's starred in. His wide-eyed, wizened face has been endearing you longer than you may realize (his most famous turn has got to be as Judge Reinhold's gruffly sardonic mentor in "Beverly Hills Cop"). His comedic delivery is often so dry it crackles.

This makes him the perfect find for the title role in director Steven Piet's surprisingly engaging, often very funny thriller "Uncle John." The film begins with John hauling away and burning a body in one of his fields on his rural Illinois farm. The victim turns out to be a guy named Dutch who (from the vitriol spouted by almost everyone in the small town) people despised --- and even more so when he found religion and embarked on the not-too-smart idea of going from door to door and "apologizing" for his past sins.

Piet and co-writer Erik Crary's script is rather bold in its execution however, because it doesn't just stick with John and his quietly engrossing story. The writers ping-pong constantly to another plot revolving around John's nephew (Alex Moffat) and a co-worker he's tentatively courting (Jenna Lyng) at a small commercial ad agency in Chicago. For a good part of the film, you'll wonder what the hell this plot has to do with the A-story, but after a while you won't care: Moffat and Lyng have such an electric chemistry and their dialogue is so real, so drop-dead funny at times, that it's just a joy to watch (the B-story actually does provide a lot of insight into John's character, though it's not really needed thanks to Ashton's skill).

It's one of those two-trains-speeding-down-the-track-rolling-right-for-each-other-type scripts (think "No Country for Old Men," though not on that scale, obviously). And of course there's a time bomb at the collision point, and quite a menacing one, in Ronnie Gene Blevins, who plays the dead guy's angry, redneck, slightly-psychotic younger brother.

It all comes together because of Ashton, however. As per usual, he conceals virtually everything he's feeling, but in that cunningly transparent way that lets you into his subconscious --- whether you want to be there or not. He tells you everything you need to know about his life, his dead wife (who Dutch was snaking), and his sense of morality without saying much at all. It's all in that face and those eyes, which have just gotten more expressive with time.

"Uncle John" also gets the look, feel, and cadence of rural Illinois stunningly right. The diner scenes with John's daily cronies (Don Forsten, Gary Houston, and Matt Kozlowski --- all worth mentioning) are priceless and not just in non-condescending accuracy. They're a wonderful Greek chorus. And Alex Moffat's dry-ice deliveries recall David Spade at his sharpest.

It's not a film for the impatient, but there's a mother-lode of riches in that there brush fire.

?

[Foutainoflife · 5/10 · 7 July 2018]

Ok, I am a person who loves horror, suspense, thrillers, psychological and crime movies. I am such a lover that I will give just about anything a chance. I love a good slow burner. Something that I can really get drawn into and I was really hoping that this was going to be one. I am totally disappointed.

The film is shot nice. The characters we all spot on in their performances but I can decide what this film was really supposed to be about. There were elements of tension in both stories. The young man trying to get a girl, so there is a lot of sexual tension and cat and mouse sorta being laid out between them. The old man concealing a murder, so there again, noticeable tension. Got it. So. Um. Where is the climatic moment of this movie?

It just seemed to drag by for me. I totally hung in there though because I had hopes that everything would fall into place at the end. In all honesty, I was wanting to see the young man step outside and either see his uncle do something or be killed by mistake. So, when it ended I had to do a WTF look around.

Look it is an okay movie but not a favorite. Check it out though. A lot of folks really seemed to like it but I just felt let down. I guess I fell victim to either hype or a lack of intelligence on my part.

One of the best movies of 2015 !!!

[Mendocino-California · 9/10 · 13 October 2015]

I personally would call this a masterpiece. This is so well constructed and put together on so many levels. I rarely see a movie of such caliber and will see this many more times just to see how well it was crafted.

This is a slow moving movie, and has many layers interweaving in and out all over the place like a masterfully scripted classical musical piece.

The relationship between the boy and girl is one of the best chemistry's I have ever seen on the silver screen. I just wanted to listen to them, wanted them to be together forever. I almost felt I was in their company their level of intimacy was so real and refreshing.

The acting was so brilliant most of the actors just drew you into to their world.

This movie is slow, its a thinker, and will leave you thinking long after the movie ends ... and that is the brilliance of a brilliant movie.

"Uncle John": He's just as sweet as you can get...unless you get on his bad side, that is.

[jtncsmistad · 8/10 · 23 June 2016]

Veteran character actor John Ashton ("Beverly Hills Cop" I and II, "Gone Baby Gone") is sublime as "Uncle John", a quiet pillar of a small farming community whose residents are blithely unaware how deep his still waters run. Deep and dark.

Seems that John has lost someone dear to him. And there are those who will pay for his pain. Dearly.

Alex Moffat and the stunning Jenna Lyng (a dead ringer for TV's Lisa Ling) are also quite good here as coworkers/burgeoning lovers Ben and Kate. The young couple have come a callin' on Ben's sweet Uncle John for a brief overnight visit. What they don't know about their kind and gracious host won't hurt these two.

Which is certainly a damn sight more than can be said for the poor bastard who dares cross this benevolent, yet unforgiving, curious country gentleman.

Wish there were movies like this..

[cynthiaspecht · 10/10 · 10 March 2019]

Just a good, intense movie that had you on points and needles all the way through.

How far can a decent man go into darkness?

[thefactorywall · 9/10 · 23 November 2017]

A well-written, well-directed study of a man pushed to his limits. Uncle John has suffered a tragedy, and is driven to do something about it. He's a decent man, loved by his family and respected by his community. How far will he go, and what lines will he cross, in order to make things right?

The movie's greatest strength is veteran actor John Ashton, who can portray Uncle John's anguish and turmoil without a word.

An entertaining movie

[orkneyislander · 9/10 · 9 November 2023]

I enjoyed this movie. It may have rolled a bit slow for some but I think if you can do without car chases and explosions you'll enjoy it. The acting was good, especially 'Uncle John' who nailed the turmoil the character would have been feeling. He did this in an easy way without any over the top dramatics. The use of a duel plot was interesting and added a completely different vein to the movie and it worked. The filming locations were realistic as well and set the tone perfectly. All very plausible apart from the body disposals - You're going to need a lot more than a medium pile of timber fuel to get the sustained high temperatures necessary to completely incinerate a body to a few bone fragments. Still a worthwhile watch.

Be patient/a film for grown ups

[mikeporter-79530 · 9/10 · 17 May 2019]

I'm really glad I hung onto watching this film - it's served at a slow pace, but has to be one of the very few original films I've seen in a while, with two interweaving storylines and a hint of black comedy (for me anyway)