The SXSW Film Festival is usually home to a variety of exciting new films. Their selections ooze with originality and the festival encourages filmmakers to bring forth their most creative and inspired projects to put on display. It's a festival that prides itself on its immensely entertaining slate that relishes in a variety of genres. Unfortunately, due to the unpredictability of COVID-19 and how quickly the virus has spread, SXSW was officially canceled this year for the first time in its 34-year history. As heartbreaking as this was, many individuals still strived to get their highly-anticipated features seen. Scott Teems' latest film was among those in search of viewers and a place to eventually call home after the chaotic closure of the festival. Although The Quarry feels lackluster in its execution, it's an intriguing story of redemption that's largely carried by a captivating Michael Shannon.
Based on the novel by Damon Galgut, The Quarry centers on a drifter (Shea Whigham), who is only ever known to viewers as The Man. Not much is known about The Man, only that his past is littered with some very dark secrets and he's seemingly on the run from something. While en route to a small Texas town to start a new job at the local church, a preacher by the name of David Martín (Bruno Bichir) offers The Man a ride after discovering him passed out on the side of the road. Martín also appears to have a checkered past, as evidenced by the numerous bottles of liquor he's chugging while driving. The two don't necessarily click, and after stopping at a rest stop, the preacher's good intentions -- stemming from a want to grant The Man forgiveness for what occupies his mind -- take a terrifying turn when The Man's disagreements with Martín lean into violent aggression, killing the helpless preacher in the process.
Horrified by what just occurred, The Man buries Martín in a nearby quarry, hoping that he'll be forgotten about and he can move on with the rest of his life. In the process, The Man then takes Martín's car and makes his way into the town nearby, posing as the preacher to avoid confrontation. However, not everyone is sold on this mysterious new preacher and his wise sermons centered on sin and forgiveness. A local sheriff named Chief Moore (Michael Shannon) has his own suspicions about this new arrival, and his misgivings start to heighten once Martín's body is discovered in the quarry. Although Martín is a stranger to everyone in this small town, The Man is certainly aware of who he is and what happened, causing tensions to rise once the Chief comes looking for answers.
The premise of this film boasts so much thrilling potential, but often, it feels as if Teems is holding back from unleashing its full power. The Quarry is very much a slow-burn, but rather than leaning into an explosive finale, it fizzles towards the finish line. Although there are a variety of aspects to the film that tout intriguing character and story development, these avenues are rarely explored to their greatest potential. It's difficult to find a way to connect with The Man, let alone feel interested in his narrative arc. He's not alone in this, either. A handful of other characters also don't feel like they serve much of a purpose in the overall story. In particular, Catalina Sandino Moreno, who plays a young woman named Celia, often just feels like a sounding board for the two male leads to bounce their ideas off of. Her character's lack of substance feels, unfortunately, unnecessary to the film's main storyline, which already feels uneven as is.
However, there are a select few standouts who breathe thrilling, and often much-needed, life into the story. Shannon's Chief Moore, especially, musters up enough energy to make it a worthwhile experience. His character is interesting, lived-in with the small-town environment around him, and unapologetically authentic. The film would have easily benefited from leaning more into Moore and his investigation into the mysterious Man. Even Bobby Soto deliveres a strong performance as a wrongly-convicted Mexican man named Valentin -- another character who offered up the possibility of an exciting narrative exploration into race relations in small-town America. Unfortunately, it's another storytelling point that Teems caps off all-too-soon.
Throughout the film, it often feels as if Teems wanted to cover an abundance of territory all at once, which eventually just led to a lackluster finish. In the end, The Quarry is a story that boasts so much potential but never truly reaches for the greatest possible height that it very well could. A strong narrative bogged down by slow pacing and mundane execution makes for an all-around fine feature, but nothing spectacular. Thankfully, Shannon's performance provides enough energy and enthusiasm to keep viewers invested up until the end, showing a different side to the narrative that, if favored, could have benefitted The Quarry in the long run. It's clear that Teems had a grand vision in mind, but the end result doesn't quite hit that mark.
The Quarry is now available on-demand and digitally. It is 98 minutes long and rated R for some violence and language.