Genre: Comedy/Crime
Rating: 4/5
SPOILER WARNING
Really funny and clever, expect the unexpected
I’m from the South, I know so-called hillbillies and red necks. I’m not one of them but I know plenty. So when I saw that Logan Lucky was about those people doing a heist, I was sold. The premise is funny and it sparks curiosity. Most heist movies that I’ve seen have involved these really hyper-smart people with strange, random talents. This film subverts that idea, which I think most people have been socially taught to believe.
Logan Lucky follows brothers Jimmy and Clyde Logan who want to “stick it to the man” as you’d say and rob Nascar. They use their improbability factor (because their hillbillies) to their advantage. Like other heist movies, they bring people in, who have the talents they need to complete the job. The problem is that, Joe Bang, their demolitionist, is in prison and won’t get out before the date of their heist. This leads the Logan brothers to do the unexpected and to do what you’d think is a ridiculous idea. Clyde purposefully gets arrested. Obviously, this works and the plan is in motion.
The appeal of this film is that, even though we’re following these hillbillies with every step of their heist, we’re still not sure that they’re going to pull it off. Played off mostly for comedy, these people aren’t represented as exceptionally smart. The audience stays on the edge of their seat to see what step they might have missed and where they might slip up. Even with a decently solid plan, will they be able to improvise if there’s a problem? Expect the unexpected.
Overall, this film is pretty great. It doesn’t offer much in terms of cinematography or film score, but the acting is great and the story is too. There’s really good comedic timing and the heist itself is entertaining and compelling. Would I watch it again? Of course. Should you watch it? Definitely. It’s an underdog story and who doesn’t appreciate a good underdog story?
Tony King