Rushlights (film)

Rushlights is a 2013 American independent neo-noir thriller film written and directed by Antoni Stutz and starring Beau Bridges, Haley Webb, Josh Henderson and Aidan Quinn. Rushlights was included in the official selections of the Montreal World Film Festival, the Shanghai International Film Festival, the Dallas International Film Festival as well as the Newport Beach Film Festival. An extended directors cut was released in 2016.

Plot
A dark and gritty mystery thriller, Rushlights centers on two delinquent young lovers from the suburbs of Los Angeles traveling to a small Texas town to falsely claim the inheritance of a dead friend. The teens, haunted by their dubious pasts, wind up in a nightmare of greed and betrayal as they encounter the twisted underworld of Tremo, Texas – population 2870.

Cast

 * Beau Bridges as Sheriff Brogden
 * Haley Webb as Sarah
 * Josh Henderson as Billy
 * Aidan Quinn as Cameron Brogden
 * Jordan Bridges as Earl
 * Lorna Raver as Belle Brogden
 * Joel McKinnon Miller as Sal Marinaro
 * Crispian Belfrage as Eddie Romero
 * Philip Lenkowsky as Sly Wheaton
 * Eileen Grubba as Alice
 * Terence Bernie Hines as Joe
 * Nestor Absera as Jamie Albright

Reception
Brandon Harris of Filmmaker magazine wrote: “An array of impressive performances… the film is reminiscent of John Dahl’s early 90s thrillers Red Rock West and The Last Seduction.”

Patrick Washington of The Dallas Weekly on Rushlights: “One of the best thrillers I’ve seen.” Mike Smith of Mediamikes gave the thriller 4/5stars writing: “Packed with genuine surprises and emotion… Stutz’s direction is clear and sharp.”

Neil Genzlinger of The New York Times wrote: “When it comes to film plotting, too many twists results in an annoying tangle. And there are too many twists in Antoni Stutz’s uninvolving Rushlights.”

On Rotten Tomatoes the film has an approval rating of 26% based on reviews from 19 critics, with average score of 4.19/10.