Echoes of War: DVD Review
Arriving on DVD this week is “Echoes of War”, which stars James Badge Dale, Ethan Embry, William Forsythe, Maika Monroe, and is directed by Kane Senes. The story is set in post-Civil War Texas and is centered on two neighboring families that are both dealing with tragedy. They are also struggling to survive and when it comes to hunting food, the Riley and McCluskey families wind up being at odds.
Wade (Dale) has just come back home from fighting in the war. His niece Abigail (Monroe) and nephew Samuel (Owen Teague) welcome their uncle back with open arms. His brother-in-law, Seamus (Embry) is not as happy. Wade’s sister/Seamus’s wife had passed away while he was in the war.
While out setting traps, Wade notices that the McCluskey family has been taking the game from the traps for themselves. Although the Riley family has accepted this, it doesn’t sit too well with Wade, who is watching his own family go hungry.
Randolph McCluskey (Forsythe) is not the god-fearing father that Seamus is and has his own way of dealing with things. He has two sons, Dillard (Ryan O’Nan) who is a simpleton and Marcus (Rhys Wakefield) who is smart but kind of a coward. Marcus is also in love with Abigail and the growing tension between the two families makes him want to run away with her.
The performances in “Echoes of War” are quite good, most notably Embry and Dale. Forsythe is also good, as I feel like it’s been quite some time since the veteran actor has had a solid role. I just wish the film wasn’t so dull. The pacing is far too slow and the tension build-up between the families feels almost non-existent. If you like the actors, it may be worth giving a look, but aside from that, I can’t really recommend “Echoes of War”.
By: Marc Ferman