Midnight in the Switchgrass | |
---|---|
Directed by | Randall Emmett |
Screenplay by | Alan Horsnail |
Produced by |
|
Starring |
|
Cinematography | Duane Manwiller |
Edited by | Colby Parker Jr. |
Music by |
|
Production companies |
|
Distributed by | Lionsgate |
Release date |
|
Running time | 99 minutes [1] |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Box office | $97,518 [2] |
Midnight in the Switchgrass is a 2021 American crime thriller film directed by Randall Emmett in his directorial debut from a screenplay by Alan Horsnail. It stars Megan Fox, Bruce Willis, Emile Hirsch, Lukas Haas, Colson Baker and Lydia Hull.
It was released in limited theaters and video-on-demand on July 23, 2021, by Lionsgate and was critically panned upon release.
Based on the true story of Texas's most dangerous serial killer, the film has the dramatization translocated to Florida. FBI Agent Karl Helter and his partner, Rebecca Lombardo, are very close to busting a sex trafficking ring. When they realize their investigation has crossed the path of a brutal serial killer, they team up with Florida Department of Law Enforcement Agent Byron Crawford, who has worked for years on the case. When Rebecca herself is abducted by their target and her life hangs in the balance, Byron has precious few hours to piece together the last clues and to put an end to the infamous "Truck Stop Killer".
On January 22, 2020, it was announced that film producer Randall Emmett would make his directorial debut on the film, with Emile Hirsch set to star. [3] Megan Fox and Bruce Willis were cast on February 16, with filming beginning on March 9 in Pensacola, Florida. [4]
On March 12, 2020, Lukas Haas, Colson Baker, Sistine Stallone, Caitlin Carmichael, Michael Beach, Welker White, Alec Monopoly, and Jackie Cruz joined the cast of the film. [5] [6] [7]
On March 16, production on the film was halted because of the COVID-19 pandemic. [8] Production on the film resumed on June 29. [9]
Midnight in the Switchgrass had its world premiere on June 13, 2021, at the Tampa Theatre, where it was the closing night film of the Gasparilla International Film Festival. In attendance were Randall Emmett, Alan Horsnail, Timothy C. Sullivan, Lukas Haas, Emile Hirsch, Caitlin Carmichael, and Katalina Viteri. The screening was followed by a 40-minute Q & A moderated by Tyler Martinolich. [10]
The film was later released in limited theaters and VOD on July 23, 2021, by Lionsgate. [11] Megan Fox did not attend the film's Los Angeles premiere and cited concerns regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. Machine Gun Kelly did not respond, but on Twitter, he mentioned that he does not talk about a movie if it is trash. [12] In response, Emile Hirsch posted a screenshot of Machine Gun Kelly's tweet on Instagram and stated, "We definitely disagree here, Colson![Machine Gun Kelly] Nothing but respect to you guys though - especially because you and Megan are so f#*king great in this movie." [13]
As of October 1, 2024, Midnight in the Switchgrass grossed $97,518 in Portugal and Russia, plus $646,977 in home video sales. [2]
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an 8% approval rating, based on 38 reviews, with an average rating of 3.40/10. The website's critics consensus reads: "Dull and predictable, Midnight in the Switchgrass squanders an evocative setting and some committed performances on a would-be thriller that rarely raises a sweat." [14] On Metacritic, it has a score of 24 out of 100, based on reviews from 9 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews". [15]
Robert Kojder of Flickering Myth said that "the fact that Midnight in the Switchgrass is an all-around terrible movie comes as no surprise, but there is a sting since for star Megan Fox, it's coming off a career-best and physically impressive performance in Till Death." [16] Jackie K. Cooper rated the film 5 out of 10 saying that "Megan Fox steals the show while Bruce Willis is missing in action." [17]
In his review for The New York Times , Ben Kenigsberg said that "the atmosphere is thoroughly sleazy without being distinctive, and everything about the movie - the emotionless line readings, the half-baked back stories - exudes a terse functionality." [18]
Waldemar Dalenogare Neto rated the film 2 out of 10 and stated that it is one of the "most generic thrillers of the year (...) I really don't know yet what the purpose of this film is other than the fact that it tries to profit from Megan Fox's image and Bruce Willis." [19] In a positive review for the San Jose Mercury News, Randy Myers said that "it's worth a watch if you like serial killer thrillers but don't expect to see anything revolutionary going on." [20]
Jesse Hassenger was less complimentary in his review for Paste Magazine by saying that it looks like the filmmakers are trying to punish Megan Fox for her performance in Till Death, and he concluded, "It's entirely because of Fox that Switchgrass stays compelling far longer than it should, raising vain hopes that she'll be able to work it into something pulpier and more defined. Despite the eventual disappointment, I hope she sticks with genre fare a bit longer, and finds some more shackles to break." [21]
Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2022 | Golden Raspberry Awards | Worst Actress | Megan Fox | Nominated | [22] [23] |
Worst Performance by Bruce Willis in a 2021 Movie | Bruce Willis | Rescinded |
Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone is an American actor and filmmaker. He has received numerous accolades, including a Golden Globe Award and a Critics' Choice Award, as well as nominations for three Academy Awards and two BAFTA Awards. Stallone is one of only two actors in history to have starred in a box-office No. 1 film across six consecutive decades.
Walter Bruce Willis is a retired American actor. He achieved fame with a leading role on the comedy-drama series Moonlighting (1985–1989) and has appeared in over a hundred films, gaining recognition as an action hero for his portrayal of John McClane in the Die Hard franchise (1988–2013).
Megan Denise Fox is an American actress. She made her acting debut in the family film Holiday in the Sun (2001), which was followed by numerous supporting roles in film and television, such as the teen musical comedy Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen (2004), as well as a starring role in the ABC sitcom Hope & Faith (2004–2006). Her breakout role was as Mikaela Banes in the blockbuster action film Transformers (2007), which she reprised in its sequel Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009).
Caitlin Carmichael is an American actress. Her credits include In the Motherhood (2008), Criminal Minds (2009), Shake It Up, iCarly, Hot in Cleveland, Law & Order: LA, and Bag of Bones, The Wicked (2013), 300: Rise of an Empire (2014), Martyrs (2015), The Night Visitor 2: Heather's Story (2016), Young Sheldon and The Good Doctor, Life Itself (2018), Midnight in the Switchgrass (2021), and Dwight in Shining Armor (2019–2021).
Colson Baker, known professionally as MGK, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and actor. He is noted for his genre duality across alternative rock with hip hop.
American actor Bruce Willis began his career in 1980 with an uncredited role in The First Deadly Sin. After guest-starring in a 1984 episode of Miami Vice, he appeared in the first episode of the 1985 revival of The Twilight Zone. Willis achieved fame starring in the ABC comedy-drama series Moonlighting (1985–1989), for which he received three Golden Globe nominations for Best Actor – Television Series Musical or Comedy and two Primetime Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series. In 1988, he starred as John McClane in Die Hard (1988), a film that spawned four sequels that earned him international recognition as an action hero.
Emmett/Furla Oasis Films, previously known as Emmett/Furla Films and Oasis Ventures Entertainment separately, is an American film and television production and financing company founded by Randall Emmett and George Furla in 1998. It is notable for funding and producing the films End of Watch, 2 Guns and Lone Survivor. To date, Emmett/Furla Oasis Films has produced more than 80 films which have grossed a total of $1 billion from box office ticket sales worldwide—an average of roughly $13 million per film.
Randall Emmett is an American film producer and television personality. He is the chairman and co-founder of production company Emmett/Furla Oasis Films.
Death Wish is a 2018 American vigilante action thriller film directed by Eli Roth and produced by Roger Birnbaum. It is the remake of the 1974 film of the same name and stars Bruce Willis as Dr. Paul Kersey, alongside Vincent D'Onofrio, Elisabeth Shue, Dean Norris and Kimberly Elise in supporting roles. In the film, Dr. Paul Kersey, a Chicago-based surgeon, sets out to exact vengeance on the culprits responsible for attacking his family.
Reprisal is a 2018 American action thriller film directed by Brian A. Miller and written by Bryce Hammons. The film stars Bruce Willis, Frank Grillo, Johnathon Schaech, and Olivia Culpo.
Shaun S. Sanghani is an American film producer, financier and writer. He is the founder and president of SSS Entertainment and SSS Film Capital. He is best known as the producer of The Fallout, The Last Full Measure,King Cobra, Alone Together, and American Traitor: The Trial of Axis Sally.
Hard Kill is a 2020 American action thriller film directed by Matt Eskandari, starring Jesse Metcalfe, Bruce Willis, Natalie Eva Marie, Lala Kent, Texas Battle, Swen Temmel, Sergio Rizzulto, Tyler Jon Olson, and Jon Galanis. The film follows a CEO who hires a group of mercenaries to retrieve both a piece of technology and his kidnapped daughter. It was released on August 21, 2020, by Vertical Entertainment, and was critically panned.
Melanie Kay "Meadow" Williams is an American actress and producer. She began her career appearing in small roles in films including Beverly Hills Cop III (1994), The Mask (1994) and Apollo 13 (1995). In the 2000s, Williams began working as film producer; her credits include The Harvest (2013), Den of Thieves (2018), After (2019), and Boss Level (2020). She played Mildred Gillars in the 2021 drama film American Traitor: The Trial of Axis Sally, which she also financed.
"Bloody Valentine" is a song by American musician Machine Gun Kelly, released on May 1, 2020 by Interscope Records. The song is the first single from his fifth studio album Tickets to My Downfall.
Out of Death is a 2021 American action thriller film directed by Mike Burns and starring Bruce Willis and Jaime King.
Fortress is a 2021 American action film directed by James Cullen Bressack and written by Alan Horsnail, based on a story by Emile Hirsch and Randall Emmett. It stars Jesse Metcalfe, Bruce Willis, Chad Michael Murray, Kelly Greyson, Ser'Darius Blain, and Shannen Doherty. The film was released in select theaters and on video on demand by Lionsgate Films on December 17, 2021.
Matthew Helderman is an American film producer. He is known for his work in 3022, The Pale Door, Cosmic Sin, Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street and Redemption Day.
Taurus is a 2022 American drama film directed by Tim Sutton and written by Sutton and Machine Gun Kelly.
Wire Room is a 2022 American action film directed by Matt Eskandari, from a screenplay by Brandon Stiefer, and produced by Randall Emmett, George Furla, Oliver Trevena, Norton Herrick, Ceasar Richbow, Mark Stewart, and Noel Ashman. It stars Kevin Dillon and Bruce Willis.
Wrong Place is a 2022 American action film directed by Mike Burns, from a script from Bill Lawrence, and produced by Randall Emmett and George Furla. It stars Ashley Greene Khoury and Bruce Willis.