Arkansas

Name: Arkansas
Genre: Drama, Thriller, Crime
Released: May 5, 2020
Duration: 117 min
Rating: 55
Cast: Barry Primus, Brad William Henke, Chandler Duke, Clark Duke, Eden Brolin

2020

METASCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 19 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 18 Ratings

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5.4

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5.4	User Score Mixed or average reviews based on 18 Ratings

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Arkansas

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Movie Details & Credits

Lionsgate | Release Date (Streaming): May 5, 2020 | R

Starring: Barry Primus, Brad William Henke, Chandler Duke, Clark Duke, Eden Brolin, Ian Thompson-Yates, Jacob Zachar, Jeff Chase, John Malkovich, Liam Hemsworth, Michael Kenneth Williams, Patrick Muldoon, Vince Vaughn, Vivica A. Fox

Summary: Kyle (Liam Hemsworth) and Swin (Clark Duke) live by the orders of an Arkansas-based drug kingpin named Frog (Vince Vaughn), whom they’ve never met. Posing as junior park rangers by day, they operate as low-level drug couriers by night under the watchful eye of Frog’s proxies (John Malkovich and Vivica A. Fox). Swin then settles into his dayKyle (Liam Hemsworth) and Swin (Clark Duke) live by the orders of an Arkansas-based drug kingpin named Frog (Vince Vaughn), whom they’ve never met. Posing as junior park rangers by day, they operate as low-level drug couriers by night under the watchful eye of Frog’s proxies (John Malkovich and Vivica A. Fox). Swin then settles into his day job by taking up a relationship with Johnna (Eden Brolin) against orders to blend in while Kyle continues to question his night job by trying to figure out who Frog really is. Their world is then upended after one too many inept decisions, and Kyle, Swin, and Johnna find themselves directly in Frog’s crosshairs, who mistakenly sees them as a threat to his empire. … Expand

Director: Clark Duke

Genre(s): Drama, Thriller, Crime

Rating: R

Runtime: 117 min

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Critic Reviews

Richard Whittaker

May 11, 2020

The reality is that most criminal enterprises operate under a shadow of confusion, of disorganization. That's the story of Arkansas, a hard-boiled noir where the end is written in the messy beginning. Read full review

Mark Olsen

May 6, 2020

Amiably paced with comfortable, lived-in performances, Arkansas isn’t so much a crime drama or dark comedy as a depiction of a world in which illegal activities and their aftermath are simply part of a way of life. Read full review

Steve Pond

May 4, 2020

While it’s hard to watch Arkansas and not see its debt to the Coen brothers, Duke finds a voice of his own in quiet, deadpan absurdities and southern-fried eccentricities. Read full review

The Guardian Ellen E Jones

Jul 13, 2020

Not much about this film is original, but the buddy-pairing of two equally competent criminals is something we haven’t seen too often. Read full review

RogerEbert.com Simon Abrams

May 5, 2020

That kind of gallow’s humor defines the surface tone of Arkansas, which often feels like a riff on “Breaking Bad,” only now it’s more about how sad it is to be poor white trash. Read full review

The Playlist Asher Luberto

May 6, 2020

Arkansas is, for long stretches, laid back. Despite its cartoonish performances, the tone is defiantly low key, with little of the vigor you expect from something inspired by Tarantino. Read full review

G. Allen Johnson

May 4, 2020

Most of Arkansas — Duke’s home state, by the way — just falls flat, despite individual scenes here and there that work. Read full review

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User Reviews

ThatGuy6060

Jun 6, 2020

I thought this was a very underrated movie. great cast and story had me on the edge of seat whole time

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Woodlax

Jun 9, 2020

Slow but steady moving plot on the mishaps of two low level drug dealers. Points for an interesting plot and great cast. Negatives were some lengthy setups early on and brevity in the final act.

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

JLuis_001

Oct 18, 2020

It never picks up the pace and it's a shame because the story lent itself to more compelling variants, as this one was complex enough to work better.

And it's also surprising considering the people involved, because even though Liam Hemsworth never seemed to me to measure up to the rest ofIt never picks up the pace and it's a shame because the story lent itself to more compelling variants, as this one was complex enough to work better.

And it's also surprising considering the people involved, because even though Liam Hemsworth never seemed to me to measure up to the rest of his co-stars, I can't say that his work was problematic, it's just like I said, the story never takes a direction to become more dynamic and therefore more efficient.

Sometimes the most practical is more useful.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Marakai

Sep 13, 2020

More commonly known for his comedy work on The Office and Hot Tub Time Machine, Clark Duke makes his feature length directorial debut with a southern-fried noir that’s in many ways impressive but ultimately a mixed bag. Duke not only directs but also gives himself a prominent role alongsideMore commonly known for his comedy work on The Office and Hot Tub Time Machine, Clark Duke makes his feature length directorial debut with a southern-fried noir that’s in many ways impressive but ultimately a mixed bag. Duke not only directs but also gives himself a prominent role alongside Liam Hemsworth’s straight guy but his facetiousness is at odds with some of the plot’s darker elements. This only causes the film to feel unbalanced in terms of its tone but he does do an admirable job in stringing the narrative’s five chapters together and keeping tabs on slightly alternate time lines and characters - where Vince Vaughn stands out with a shady part to play. For the most part, I found a lot to enjoy here but, sadly, it becomes rushed and messy in its denouement.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

bfoore90

Nov 14, 2020

Released this past year but flew under the radar due to the pandemic. Arkansas is a solid directorial debute for Clark Duke, who i mostly know from comedies such as The Office, Hot Tub Time Machine and Sex Drive. Liam Hemsworth, Eden Brolin and Vince Vaughn offer the best performances hereReleased this past year but flew under the radar due to the pandemic. Arkansas is a solid directorial debute for Clark Duke, who i mostly know from comedies such as The Office, Hot Tub Time Machine and Sex Drive. Liam Hemsworth, Eden Brolin and Vince Vaughn offer the best performances here and the film is very Tarantino-esque with its screenplay, which is cool because it tells the story in chapters and from different perspectives rather than in linear form.

Overall, its a decent watch. Its an enjoyable film with good performances let down by a boring screenplay that im sure a more polished director would have been able to spice up. Its a slow, easy watch though thats interesting enough to keep you entertained.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Mauro_Lanari

Jul 31, 2020

(Mauro Lanari)
According to Rotten Tomatoes, this unsatisfying directorial debut by Clark Duke is a "character-driven neo-noir too derivative to leave much of an impression". Even if it had been original, as it is titled the 2nd of the 5 chapters, "Boredom is Beautiful" not even under the(Mauro Lanari)
According to Rotten Tomatoes, this unsatisfying directorial debut by Clark Duke is a "character-driven neo-noir too derivative to leave much of an impression". Even if it had been original, as it is titled the 2nd of the 5 chapters, "Boredom is Beautiful" not even under the influence of the drug peddled by the protagonists.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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