Supposedly based on true events, Warning Shot is a bare-bones but engaging thriller blessed with a capable cast that elevates material that could have been dreadful in lesser hands.
Audrey (Tammy Blanchard) is a down-on-her-luck single mom. After her grandfather dies, she and her daughter, Cheyenne (Onata Aprile), decide to move into his old farmhouse. She can’t pay the rent on her current house and is likely to inherit Grandpa’s place anyway. The reading of the will isn’t for another week. Unknown to them, Calvin (Bruce Dern), an old family rival, has been eyeing up the water rights on the property.
Eager to prove that he can run his grandfather’s business, Calvin’s grandson, Bobby (David Spade), sends two goons, Rainey (Guillermo Diaz) and Jawari (Dwight Henry,) out to the farmhouse to intimidate Audrey’s grandfather into signing over the water rights. Rainey is a borderline psychopath while Jawari is more laid back. Their methods for handing the situation differ significantly. When they discover Audrey and Cheyenne at the farmhouse instead of the old man, those differences cause things to go horribly awry.
The promotional material makes Warning Shot out to be an action film, but it’s actually more of a dialogue-heavy thriller. Even though the majority of the movie takes place inside the farmhouse, cagey writing keeps things from getting stale. Comedian David Spade turns in his first dramatic role and proves himself up to the task. His performance as the zealous Bobby is appropriately sleazy. But the movie gives Guillermo Diaz and Dwight Henry all of the best lines. Most notably, the believably contentious banter between Rainey and Jawari.
When things move out of the farmhouse, some creaky tropes and an all-too-neat conclusion cause things to falter a bit. Director Dustin Fairbanks proves that he’s probably better off working in more confined spaces.
Supposedly based on true events, Warning Shot is a bare-bones but engaging thriller blessed with a capable cast that elevates material that could have been dreadful in lesser hands. The supporting work of Bruce Dern, James Earl Jones, and Frank Whaley (Career Opportunities) just adds further reinforcement to the solid foundation.
3.0 out of 5.0 stars
