The Slaughter Rule

A teenager at a personal crossroads finds himself questioning the things that have given his life meaning in this independent coming-of-age drama. Roy Chutney (Ryan Gosling) is a high school senior in a small Montana town. Roy doesn't have an especially close relationship with his mother Evangelline ...more

From its evocative title onward, The Slaughter Rule is an intricate and moving drama enhanced by exceptional performances. Accomplished character actor David Morse (Dancer in the Dark) brings subtle power to a dauntingly complex role as Gideon, who has a genuine desire to bring out the best in his team of cast-off boys. But this desire is tied into his more selfish, darker needs. Ryan Gosling, who had a manic edginess as a Jewish neo-Nazi in Henry Bean's The Believer, shows some range here ...more