Double Down South Review: A Gritty Genre Experiment With Captivating Leads

Are you ready for a unique twist on the sports genre filtered through a grimy Southern lens? Then saddle up to watch writer-director Tom Schulman’s latest offering “Double Down South.” This deliberately-paced, atmospheric character study combines elements of various genres – sports, western, thriller – into one complex story exploring gender, race and the hidden sides of human nature.

Leading the charge is Tom Schulman, Oscar-winning scribe behind the witty wordsmithery of “Dead Poets Society,” clearly aiming for a very different vibe here. Forget prep school uplift – we’re plunging into the earthier environs of backwoods Georgia pool halls and their sweaty, booze-soaked regulars. To translate this seedy yet textured milieu to screen, Schulman enlisted Kim Coates of “Sons of Anarchy” infamy to bring his trademark brooding intensity to the role of Nick, enigmatic owner of the lively gambling den at the story’s heart.

Matching him scene for scene is rising star Lili Simmons as the tough yet vulnerable Diana, whose mysterious arrival sparks friction and attraction in equal measure. Rounding out the intriguing characters is Igby Rigney’s affable Little Nick, the friendly face offering Diana guidance on this film’s main pastime – the slow-burning game of keno pool.

So for those craving their sports movies with extra atmosphere, shifty characters and below-the-surface thrills, “Double Down South” offers an offbeat slice of drama worth betting on. Just leave expectations of fast action or easily decoded plots at the door. Schulman’s brew marinates.

A Mysterious Arrival Sets the Tables Turning

The clacking bills and boozy banter filling Nick’s pool hall seem unremarkable, as the rambunctious crowd of mostly older men gather to gamble on games of keno pool. But the energy shifts when a young woman breezes in looking to play – meet Diana, clad in a tight tank top and with her own cue in hand. Nick, the hall’s imposing owner, sizes up this bold newcomer, who insists she “didn’t come to adopt a puppy.” Sensing a chance to profit from her already formidable skills, Nick offers Diana a deal – he and his loyal sidekicks Little Nick and Old Nick will teach her the finer points of keno pool, helping transform this alluring upstart into his not-so-secret weapon. Because in Nick’s eyes, Diana is just bait…albeit very nice bait.

As an initially skeptical crowd soon learns, underestimating Diana even slightly proves costly. Training daily with the patient, one-eyed Little Nick, she rapidly masters the technical aspects of keno pool while also concealing her mysterious motivations for landing here. Diana’s unwavering poise – not to mention impressive earnings – compel even Nick to view her with escalating fascination tinged with suspicion. Simmering questions loom about her past experiences and predilection for this hardcore, masculine scene.

The plot thickens when Nick arranges high stakes showdowns between Diana and renowned hustler Beaumont DuBinion, with whom Nick shares bitter history. As the tension ratchets up around these brisk but unforgiving contests, Diana reveals steely nerves that leave onlookers stunned. Yet hints of her vulnerability also pierce through the self-assured facade. Just what emotional baggage is she carrying from life before this dingy hall?

As Diana repeatedly proves herself while disturbances ripple through the unstable criminal ecosystem around her, Schulman’s screenplay artfully keeps key details veiled. Viewers are left trying to decode Diana’s intentions and loyalties right alongside an increasingly obsessive Nick. Their charged exchanges crackle as Nick oscillates between exploitation and something like infatuation. Regardless of whether Diana wants to shake up the establishment or is just very lost, her suddenly arriving at this doorstep ignites a high-stakes ride where nothing less than the fate of Nick’s empire hangs in the balance. And possibly much more.

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Peeling Back The Layers of Deceit In A Man’s World

While “Double Down South” employs the traditional sports movie framework of an underdog prevailing through grit and skill, the story quality derives more from its rich thematic undertones. By plunging viewers into the hyper-masculine ecosystem surrounding high stakes keno pool, Schulman thoughtfully explores issues of gender bias, racial tension, the allure of vice and the masks people wear to survive.

Most apparent is the steady stream of misogyny Diana confronts upon entering this den of grizzled gamblers. Their disbelief at her bold arrival and immediate underestimation of her abilities reflects the reductive, biased notions that women lack the cold-blooded competitive edge needed in these staunchly male spaces. Yet Schulman upends assumptions by revealing Diana’s formidable prowess AS she endures dismissive taunts of being “little darling” and “a distraction.” Her escalating success forces even the most stubborn onlookers to re-examine gender assumptions.

Beyond hammering home female empowerment themes, Schulman also crafts Diana as an intriguingly complex personality with hidden scars and shifting motives. Beneath the self-possessed game face lies vulnerable nuances that compel as she navigates tense showdowns and Nick’s increasingly threatening leverage tactics. The unfolding mystery around Diana’s past reveals character depth beyond just “tough heroine” stereotypes.

Relatedly, Nick’s initial plot to ruthlessly exploit Diana for profit becomes complicated by his escalating fascination, even protectiveness towards her – highly ironic given his callous nature. Their bizarre but compelling chemistry touches on themes of mutual manipulation and understanding.

Schulman also braids in racial tensions through Nick’s charged history with elite player DuBinion, using contemporary themes as narrative spice rather than overt commentary. Their rivalry simmers with implications about white establishment discomfort at losing status to minority groups gaining influence through skill rather than privilege or exploitation. It’s just enough spice to make a point without preaching.

Finally, almost every gritty, elaborately flawed player drawn to Nick’s sphere has monsters in their closet, from trauma and violence to rejection and dangerous vices. Yet for some, Diana’s arrival becomes a chance at redemption by choosing connection through vulnerability over isolation behind masks.

Altogether Schulman explores the human condition through this offbeat backdrop, revealing how easily outcasts in harsh environments can perpetuate toxicity. But perhaps rigid mindsets still stand a chance of evolving for those bold enough to drop their pretense and forge new bonds.

Visuals and Sounds That Immerse Us In The Grit

While “Double Down South” may falter slightly when building standard sports movie momentum, from a technical filmmaking perspective Schulman and team transport us directly into the textured setting they envisioned. Through set design, costumes, cinematography and music that amplify the thick atmosphere, viewers get steeping in the salty, booze-stained world that backwoods keno apparently inhabits.

Immediately we meet this mansion turned pool hall, its wood-paneled, smoke-filled rooms crammed with grumpy looking working class men sporting trucker hats and jackets branded with confederate flags aplenty. Tables cluttered by empty bottles and overfull ashtrays complete the vibe of a perpetually busy underground gambling operation catering to those who won’t question overly much what goes on down there. The set decoration nails the details that connote hardened, narrowly focused livelihoods playing out.

Cinematography also maximizes the shadowy, hazy aesthetic where Diana wanders into, defiant in her highlighted hair and midriff-baring tank top yet still diminished against expansive establishing shots of the rural Georgian landscape surrounding them. The camerawork capitalizes on looming ceilings and constant sidelong glances to boost the uneasy mystery. Close-ups on bottles of booze getting poured and gulped remind us that vices offer the main consolation.

And while a weakness lies in the subdued visual nature of actual keno pool games versus more kinetic sports, the way music kicks in during extended playing scenes pumps things up. Passages of pensive guitars and unsettling synths play while balls clack almost unbearably slowly across felt – until Diana or another player reaches their do-or-die moment to sink shots. Then drums boom in time with balls dropping perfectly into holes as the crowd reacts rapturously. These dynamic touches somewhat offset the inherent mellowness of this oddball game at screen’s center.

By leaning hard into the atmosphere afforded through smart visual and audio choices, the filmmakers honor Schulman’s vision of delivering a distinctly styled slice of sports-related drama. It may move deliberately, but soaks viewers completely in Diana’s strange new world.

A Charismatic Cast In A Genre Mashup

While the unique recipe blending pool hall drama and western atmosphere with active thriller tension makes “Double Down South” intriguing on paper, it falls to the ensemble cast to translate that oddball blend into engaging cinema. Fortunately the assembled talent, particularly leads Lili Simmons, Kim Coates and Igby Rigney, deliver the human heartbeat needed to drive this quirky creation home.

In the most demanding role, relative newcomer Simmons brings just the right balance of grit and vulnerability as our pool shark arrival Diana. With an intense physicality nurtured through ballet training, she owns the frame whenever commanding table action or sparring with Nick’s psychological manipulation. Yet equally compelling is her gradual unraveling of Diana’s secrets, communicating her uneasy trust in sidekick Little Nick along with simmering damage from life before her audacious entrance here. Simmons masters both steel and fragility in claiming complexity beyond the “badass heroine” surface, building irresistible rooting interest.

Matching her intensity, Coates oozes terrifying yet roguishly humorous menace as Nick, crafting shades of empathy for his harsh outlook through sheer charisma. We simultaneously recoil and grin at his horrific tactics for protecting business interests, keeping characters and viewers alike off-kilter. Coates delivers the perfect heavy.

In lighter territory, Rigney etches lovable nuance and wisdom into the affable yet haunted Little Nick as Diana’s guardian angel figure. Their cautiously optimistic chemistry fuels the emotional payoff.

Among the colorful supporting players, Tom Bower also stands out in bringing wry heart to his few scenes as previous owner Old Nick. While not all characters leap from screen to memory, the core trio gracefully lead us into buying the central relationships that matter most.

Altogether a genre-bending movie like “Double Down South” relies enormously on performances strong enough to ground eccentric narrative detours in familiar human wants and fears. Simmons, Coates and Rigney form the emotional anchor for us to feel each beat of Schulman’s offbeat vision while staying compelled by the people rather than just the unusual world they inhabit. The actors truly complete this film.

Great Ideas Hindered By Messy Execution

While the soulful atmosphere and complex social themes explored in “Double Down South” leave strong impressions overall, several glaring flaws prevent Schulman’s gritty, character-driven sports concept from fully gelling. Specifically the leaden pacing, distracting exposition, muffled dialogue and poorly integrated thriller elements cause engagement levels to severely drag at key moments. Flashes of intrigue and insight struggle for breathing room against distended runtimes and muddled editing choices.

Most critically, Schulman never quite justifies stretching this moody but relatively small-scale storyline across an overindulgent two hours. Beyond the inherently mellower tempo of keno pool itself – which admittedly they try addressing through music cues – too many scenes ramble past their dramatic peak, hammering home points made clear many lines ago. The emotional pacing flattens despite compelling performances, while Schulman reiterates keno rules at the expense of narrative urgency.

This expository dialogue tends clunkily overt, lacking the vibrant regional flavors and tacit understandings that enliven similar rural crime dramas. And most criminally, the potentially terrifying thriller elements teased through Nick’s shadowy backstories remain largely undeveloped beyond vaguely gesturing at their corrupt power dynamics. We receive intriguing glimpses of high stakes at play, but minimal cathartic payoff.

The strongest dimensions explore ambiguous interpersonal relationships and social issues through behavior – not flat explanatory interludes. This is where the leads’ nuanced acting shines. But often Schulman quashes their spark with ham-fisted dialogue and disjointed editing rhythms out of sync with scene content.

While the setting and justice served to Diana captivate overall, more disciplined shaping could have doubled down on what works – the rich atmosphere and complex central figures. Rowdy friends don’t let friends pad their sports dramas to two hours without having the bravura cinematic experience to back that up. Schulman swings ambitiously – yet ultimately misses his technical marks.

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