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Caleb Faulkner (Garrett Hedlund), a working-class man with a violent past, is struggling to rebuild his life while working for his uncle Benji (Stephen Lang) in a questionable construction supply business. His life spirals after his young son, Barron, goes missing and is later found dead on a set of train tracks. The authorities rule the death a suicide, but Caleb suspects foul play and becomes increasingly frustrated by the lack of progress in the investigation.
Driven by grief and suspicion, Caleb kidnaps Ethan (Christian Convery), a classmate of Barron's and the son of a powerful local politician, Lyle Chambers (Hamish Linklater). Caleb takes Ethan to a remote lake house known as Barron’s Cove, a place once associated with fond memories of his son. There, Caleb interrogates the boy, believing he knows more than he is admitting.
As the situation escalates, Caleb discovers that Ethan has been abused and may himself be a victim of his father's influence. The relationship between captor and captive begins to shift, as Caleb becomes more protective of Ethan. Meanwhile, Lyle uses his media and political power to paint Caleb as a dangerous fugitive.
Eventually, it is revealed that Ethan had a role in Barron’s death, acting out of trauma and jealousy. In a climactic confrontation, Caleb confronts Lyle, leading to a police intervention. Detective Navarro (Raúl Castillo), the lead investigator, helps bring the truth to light. Ethan confesses and is placed into protective custody. The film ends with Caleb grappling with his grief but finding a sense of redemption through his efforts to protect another vulnerable child.[4][5]
Evan Ari Kelman began developing the screenplay during the COVID-19 pandemic as a personal exploration of grief and fatherhood.[6]>[3] The story originated from a tragic news article about teenage violence.[6]
The project was the culmination of six years of development, evolving from an initial script submission to the Academy Nicholl Fellowship (where it became a semifinalist) and earning early attention from Mandalay Pictures, which helped launch production.[7]
The screenplay was included on the 2021 annual Black List of most-liked unproduced screenplays.[8]
In May 2023, it was announced that Snow, Hedlund, Lang and Linklater were cast in the film.[9]
Tim Cogshell of LAist’s Filmweek rated the film positively, saying, "this is just damn good and so unnerving."[14] On Common Sense Media, Monique Jones rated it 3/5 stars writing that "the entire plot of Barron's Cove hinges on violence toward kids (...) But if that warning doesn't dissuade you from watching the film, you'll find that it has compelling performances."[15]
Nell Minow of RogerEbert.com, who gave the film two stars out of four, wrote that "while there is a sole writer/director (Evan Ari Kelman), the list of almost 30 producers may be a clue to the film’s uncertain shifts in tone."[16] Alex Saveliev of Film Threat gave it 5 out of 10, writing in his review consensus section:: "should've explored what drives these characters to these unspeakable acts."[2]
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