Small towns are full of big secrets. Sometimes those secrets are known but not talked about. Other times they are known by a few who are willing to lie, cheat, and kill to keep them under wraps. But what happens when new elements begin enter the picture and those secrets are on the verge of causing chaos where it once lay dormant?
Rushlights begins innocently enough as a love story and quickly evolves into a noir-style thriller with plenty of twists, turns, and double-crosses to keep the audience on their toes. Our two heroes – Sarah and Billy (Haley Webb and Josh Henderson) – are two damaged souls who find solace in each other’s company. When the tragic end befalls a close acquaintance, they work together to take advantage of the situation.
Both soon find themselves snagged in a web of small town secrets, greed, and corruption that they never saw coming. Will they do the right thing or do whatever they can do survive?
The moral ambiguity of all the characters in Rushlights reminded me of the characters on AMC’s Breaking Bad. While a lot of their actions and behaviors are reprehensible, you can’t help but root for them to achieve their goals no matter the cost. Will they get away with it? Will they be found out? Will double-crosses ensue? There’s plenty of that going on throughout the film that makes the story all the more intriguing.
Along with Webb and Henderson, Rushlights stars acting heavyweights Beau Bridges as the overzealous sheriff and Aidan Quinn as his lawyer brother. Both bring a level of gravitas to the film and help give it that dark, small-town-full-of-secrets feel.
Rushlights is an intriguing crime-drama/murder-mystery/noir-thriller that keeps you guessing to the very last frame. I highly recommend it.
Rushlights: New Unrated Director’s Cut is streaming on iTunes, Amazon, Google Play, Vudu, Sony X-Box and more!
