Cut Bank

They call it "the coldest spot in the nation," but after the shocking murder of a local postman, things are about to get even chillier — and a lot weirder — in Cut Bank, Montana. Grounded in offbeat, finely realized characters, Cut Bank is a clever, funny crime picture that exposes the shadow side of its quaint small-town setting.

Dwayne (Liam Hemsworth) grew up in Cut Bank and can't wait to leave. He works as a mechanic for his girlfriend's father (Billy Bob Thornton) but it seems he'll never save enough cash to fulfill his dream and migrate to a warmer climate. Everything changes when Dwayne accidentally videotapes what appears to be the murder of elderly postie Georgie Wits (Bruce Dern) while shooting a DIY tourism advert. Anyone who provides evidence of the killing of a US postal employee will receive a $100,000 reward, which means that this tragedy could spell financial triumph for Dwayne. All he needs to do is show postal inspector Joe Barrett (Oliver Platt) the body — a task that proves more difficult than anticipated.

Matt Shakman has directed episodes of some of the best television shows of the last decade, among them the excellent FX miniseries Fargo — an ideal precedent for this quirky neo-noir feature debut. Written by Roberto Patino (television's Sons of Anarchy), Cut Bank is riddled with wild twists and turns, and has the right cast to pull it all off. Fresh off the heels of his acclaimed performance in Nebraska, Dern steals every scene he's in as the elusive murder victim, while John Malkovich is hilarious as an inept local sheriff, and Michael Stuhlbarg (A Serious Man) is captivatingly bizarre as a local recluse who comes out from hiding just as life in Cut Bank goes totally bananas.