If you’re down
for a movie about an insane couple going on a killing spree, then Badlands is
the movie for you. Although, to be fair, it’s more like an insane couple where
the man is the one doing the killings. Filled with a nice performance from
Martin Sheen and directed by someone who clearly had their work mapped out
well, the movie keeps you watching even though the two leads don’t have enough
chemistry to be interesting when they’re by themselves on screen. I found the
movie average, regardless of its critical acclaim. It’s also easy to spot that
the production budget was low.
The movie was
written, produced, and directed by Terrence Malick. As mentioned, the plot is
about a couple on a killing spree, which becomes their go-to behavior when
cornered or in need of something. Kit (Martin Sheen) is the unstable character
who does the killings, and his partner is Holly, a fifteen-year-old girl whom
Kit, at twenty-five, has fallen in love with.
Holly’s mother
died when she was young, and she has a strained relationship with her father.
Kit, on the other hand, is a Korean War veteran struggling to adjust to life
after returning home. He finds it hard to keep a job and moves from one manual
labor job to another.
After they meet
and start having secret meetings behind Holly’s father’s back, they’re
eventually found out. Holly’s father forbids the relationship, and Kit can’t
understand why he can’t be with Holly. He goes to her house to pack her things,
but when confronted by her father, Kit kills him—with Holly present. Even
though Holly didn’t wish her father harm, she doesn’t feel much remorse after
his death. Kit burns down the house and runs off with Holly.
They start their
new life living off the land until they’re discovered, and after one killing
too many, everyone is on their case. Even Kit’s friend isn’t immune to what now
seems like an uncontrollable union.
How it all ends
for these two is something you’ll have to see if you’re already intrigued by
the synopsis. The movie is considered significant and has been nominated for
numerous American Film Institute lists for being very good. While I personally
don’t agree with the claim that this movie is a classic, you as the viewer can
come to your own conclusion when you take the time to watch it.
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