A Hard Place is an interesting mix of ideas. A gang of criminals head to a deserted location with plans of leaving the country. Almost immediately after arriving, they encounter a lone woman and strange creatures. The group soon learn they are caught in the middle of a war between two monstrous families.
Part creature feature, part Hatfields and McCoys, A Hard Place has the potential for lots of fun. There are plenty of stories about fights between monsters, but this film is set on the ground level. This is not a city destroying battle between kaiju or a knock down drag out grudge between longstanding rivals such as vampires and werewolves. It is much more akin to a bitter disagreement between warring neighbors.
It is a good idea in theory that never quite pans out. The main issue is there is little backstory given to either faction. When A Hard Place does finally explain what has caused the strife, about an hour has passed. And while it does try to come off as dramatic, the moment falls flat. It is not difficult to understand – it is a Romeo and Juliet type situation- it just does not really matter in the grand scheme of things.
This makes it hard to get invested. There is no rooting interest in A Hard Place. (In the movie’s defense, one character literally states they do not know who they want to win; the title also hints to the situation.) The first introduction of the protagonists sees them robbing a drive-in theater before callously murdering an employee. Not everyone is on board with the killing, but the plan was definitely to commit a crime then flee the country.
Clearly, the goal was to present shades of grey characterization; there just is not enough depth to make it work. Dusk to Dawn has a similar set up, but it also gives plenty of characters for audiences to sink their teeth into. A Hard Place introduces a lot of people, most with unclear motivations. The end result is a good idea that is poorly executed.
A Hard Place is now available on VOD.
