The Retrieval

Name: The Retrieval
Genre: Drama, History, Western
Released: April 2, 2014
Duration: 92 min
Rating: 75

2014

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Generally favorable reviews based on 12 Critic Reviews

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Generally favorable reviews based on 8 Ratings

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7.8

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7.8	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 8 Ratings

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The Retrieval

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Movie Details & Credits

Variance Films | Release Date: April 2, 2014 | R

Summary: 1864: as war ravages the nation, on the outskirts of the Civil War business as usual continues for slave-owners and traders. Will, a fatherless 13 year-old boy, survives by working with a white bounty hunter gang who sends him to earn the trust of runaway slaves in order to lure them back to the South. On a dangerous mission into the free1864: as war ravages the nation, on the outskirts of the Civil War business as usual continues for slave-owners and traders. Will, a fatherless 13 year-old boy, survives by working with a white bounty hunter gang who sends him to earn the trust of runaway slaves in order to lure them back to the South. On a dangerous mission into the free North to find Nate, a fugitive freedman, things go wrong and Will and Nate find themselves on the run. As the bond between them unexpectedly grows, Will becomes consumed by conflicting emotions as he faces a gut-wrenching final decision.… Expand

Director: Chris Eska

Genre(s): Drama, History, Western

Rating: R

Runtime: 92 min

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Critic Reviews

Joe Leydon

Mar 28, 2014

Equal parts suspenseful road movie, persuasively detailed period drama and emotionally resonant coming-of-age story, The Retrieval is an outstanding example of regional indie filmmaking accomplished with limited resources and an abundance of skill. Read full review

Bill Goodykoontz

Apr 24, 2014

It is indeed a beautiful film, but with each horizon tinged with sadness. Read full review

Betsy Sharkey

May 15, 2014

The Retrieval comes at you like a haunting slip of a memory, one that writer-director Chris Eska retrieves from a mostly forgotten era in unforgettable ways. Read full review

Ignatiy Vishnevetsky

Apr 1, 2014

Despite its meager budget, The Retrieval is characterized by its authenticity. The dialogue and attitudes are persuasive in creating both a consistent psychology and a sense of the historical past, without ever lapsing into a flowery 19th century-ness. Read full review

RogerEbert.com Godfrey Cheshire

Apr 3, 2014

More than any film in recent memory, The Retrieval made this reviewer yearn for the subtle softness and subliminal flicker of celluloid, as opposed to digital's sometimes overbearing brightness and clarity. Read full review

Farran Smith Nehme

Apr 2, 2014

The film’s reckoning, when it comes, is fully as heartbreaking as it should be. Read full review

Clayton Dillard

Mar 28, 2014

Less old-fashioned than demure and passé, evoking the visual style and rhythms of a 1990s made-for-TV movie rather than a daring, revisionist independent feature. Read full review

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User Reviews

Apolsc

Jun 4, 2015

Beautiful movie, great performance by Tishuan Scott and interesting depiction of the Civil War. I think this movie is so much better to many of the slavery-era films that have appeared lately, and it makes it a bigger achievement to know it was made with a low budget.

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LeZee

Sep 1, 2016

Despite knowing it is wrong, doing what has to do to be alive and make some money.

This is not a great film from a great director and writer, not even based on the real, just a simple road drama, yet very powerful. Though how do you look at it makes all the impact. The title says it all,Despite knowing it is wrong, doing what has to do to be alive and make some money.

This is not a great film from a great director and writer, not even based on the real, just a simple road drama, yet very powerful. Though how do you look at it makes all the impact. The title says it all, it takes place in the year 1864, about a teen African-American boy who partnered with another man to help the bounty hunters to catch their target. One such mission is to retrieve a man from far away place and how they are going to do it the story speaks intensely.

It looks a bit like 'Slow West' because of the journey the main characters make, but it is different and quite interesting. I don't know anybody from this film, but I'm pleased with their character executions. The boy was at his best, I don't know he would win any award for it, but mentioning and appreciating him is at least the right thing to do. Because a small film like this won't get much attention other than critics through film festivals. So I saw it and I'm glad I saw it.

It was much better than other similar films. Realistic approach was the highlight. During the civil war and lots of casualties happened around, this little adventure of three was told better than I anticipated. Being an African-American at that time of the United States was not very fortunate. It just reveals the actual atmosphere and other related stuffs how difficult it was then.

It started off like some kind of a serious bounty hunting story and then slowed in the remaining parts, until the final sequence to get emotional. Does not feel like a fictional tale, definitely a small gem. I think feeling it should have been a bit better is normal, but overall I'm satisfied and recommend it for those who wants a good B movie.

6.5/10… Expand

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Citizenaustin

Dec 12, 2014

"The Retrieval", by Chris Eska is a Civil War drama that follows a two assistants of bounty hunters (Ashton Sanders and Keston John) as they search for and bring back a man (Tishuan Scott) who killed some of their partners in crime. This is a great example of good low-budget film-making."The Retrieval", by Chris Eska is a Civil War drama that follows a two assistants of bounty hunters (Ashton Sanders and Keston John) as they search for and bring back a man (Tishuan Scott) who killed some of their partners in crime. This is a great example of good low-budget film-making. The actors are all good and the story is very interesting. Tishuan Scott especially shines in this movie as the "victim" of the bounty hunters. It is a well-scripted movie that deals with great themes such as race, money, and compassion. However, with the low budget, the look of the film is not on par with the other elements. It has a very low-budge vibe throughout the movie. As the story flows, there are certain characters that don't really serve any purpose but to add sympathy. This is alright, but the movie glances over some of these moments and does not give enough time to show us the real drama behind it. As far as low-budget movies go, this is one of the better ones; but with a low-budget comes a few amateurish flaws. 6/10.… Expand

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