At Close Range 4K 1986 Ultra HD 2160p

A criminal father involves his son in a frenzied spree of violent crimes and murders. They are hunted by the police and the FBI.

The whole world is against them, and soon they become mortal enemies themselves. Which one of them will survive? Will he want to live?

User Review

A strong cast, a talented director, an intriguing plot based on real events, and... oblivion as a reward. Honestly? It confused me. After all, everything, literally everything, screams that this film is a worthy representative of the genre, but at the same time, there are only two positive reviews and five hundred people who voted for this film. In such a situation, it is simply impossible to pass by the film and, like Curious Barbara, stick your long nose where it is not wanted. Did I stick it in? Of course! Do I regret it? You know what? No. But first things first.

The 1970s. Brad is a teenager and a man of his time. Like many of his peers, he is trying to seize his chance and achieve the “American dream” that everyone talks about. The truth is that those around him view Brad with suspicion, if not outright hostility, and to be honest, they have reason to. Brad fears neither God nor the devil, and for him, there are no boundaries or limits. Naturally, Brad takes drugs, but he is not a hardcore addict. For him, “magic pills” are a whim that a young man needs not to escape from his problems to a land of colorful bears, but to expand his consciousness and pay attention to things that many people simply ignore. Does this make Brad a thinker or even a philosopher? I wouldn't say so. But the boy clearly stands out from the crowd. The fact that Brad doesn't need a permanent job plays a significant role in this. He doesn't want to slave away for someone else, so he only takes a job when he needs to buy something, like a car. His mother and grandmother gave up on Brad long ago and tried to distance themselves from him and his personal life, believing that the young man would grow out of it and soon become like everyone else. His stepfather, on the other hand, is one step away from using his fists on Brad and trying to teach the young man some sense. After all, everyone knows that violence is the most effective argument in a dispute. Any dispute. *shakes head* Damn idiot. In general, the situation is not pleasant, and if so, then it's time for the fairy godmother to appear, who will spit, blow, wave her magic wand, and everyone will live happily ever after. And indeed, a mysterious stranger appears on Brad's doorstep. He may not look much like a fairy godmother, but he is capable of performing miracles. The stranger turns out to be the young man's biological father, who hands Brad three hundred-dollar bills and then disappears as quickly as he appeared.
Such a “chance” encounter could not fail to stir up a storm of emotions in Brad's soul, and the young man decides to befriend his father at all costs and find out where he got the money.

Well, well, they say curiosity killed the cat, and so it was, because the young man's father is Bradford Whitewood Sr., a notorious thief and swindler who robs the rich and keeps everything for himself. He is a man outside the system. The young man's eyes light up immediately, as he believes that his real father was able to achieve the “American dream” by becoming an independent man who lives for his own pleasure. Of course, Brad Jr. decides to follow in his father's footsteps and even drags his stepbrother Tommy, his best friends, and later his girlfriend into it all. But the more Brad Jr. learns about his father and his life of crime, the less he likes it. And after the young man witnesses a murder, he wants to get out of the business altogether, but is it too late?

What can I say? This is a film with a rather interesting story. Yes, I know that films with similar plots have been released many times before. Mostly after this film, but as a rule, they could not boast such a powerful cast. Sean Penn and Christopher Walken, whose names are known to almost every movie lover, were able to perfectly embody the images of their characters. Perhaps the film is too slow at the beginning, and nothing unusual happens at first, but the more time passes from the beginning of the film, the more the plot twists and turns, and the ending makes you lean back in your chair and watch what is happening with your eyes wide open. And all this is thanks not so much to the script as to the brilliant performances of the leading actors. What else? Perhaps it is worth mentioning Mary Stuart Masterson, who played Sean Penn's character's girlfriend, Terry. A girl who, like Brad Jr., is a rebel who wants to live by her wits and listen to her heart. And this independent and intelligent girl decides that Sean Penn's character is a great catch. Is she right? It's hard to say. But the love shown in the film is not contrived, cloying, or overly dramatic. No.
The love shown by Penn and Masterson's characters seems genuine and real, which is why you believe in them and want them to be happy. Anything else? Good cinematography, decent music, and competent directing. I won't go into detail about what and how, because it's best to see it for yourself.

The bottom line? The film is honest with the viewer. It's a crime drama that features a battle between good and evil, characters who grow beyond themselves, and betrayal. It's a well-made film, with the only “but” being that it's quite slow-paced and takes time to grab your attention. If that doesn't bother you, then I recommend watching it.

Info Video

Codec: HEVC / H.265 (69.7 Mb/s)
Resolution: Native 4K (2160p)
HDR: Dolby Vision, HDR10
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1

Info Audio

#English: FLAC 2.0
#English: FLAC 2.0 (Commentary by director James Foley, moderated by film historian Nick Redman)
#English: Dolby Digital 2.0 (Commentary by film historians Bill Ackerman and Jim Laczkowski)
#English: FLAC 2.0 (Commentary by film critic Adrian Martin)

Info Subtitles

English SDH, Arabic, Hong Kong (Traditional), Chinese (Traditional), Danish, Dutch, Filipino, Finnish, French (Parisian), German, Greek, Hebrew, Hungarian, Indonesian, Italian, Korean, Norwegian, Portuguese (Brazilian), Portuguese (European), Spanish (Castilian), Spanish (Latin American), Swedish, Thai.