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John Hillcoat (The Road) directs this true story co-written and scored by Nick Cave. Shia LaBeouf (Transformers) and Tom Hardy (The Dark Knight Rises) star as entrepreneurial brothers who make and sell moonshine in prohibitionist Virginia. The brothers already have an 'understanding' with the local law enforcement, but when a gangster (Gary Oldman) and a dirty district attorney (Guy Pearce) vie for a piece of the boys' profits, things get out of hand... quickly and violently.

LaBeouf annoys me as a personality, but he puts in a solid performance here. Hardy continues his obsession with characters who are barely intelligible, mumbling and growling his way through every line — he comes close to caricature at times. Pearce and Oldman are both frightening as the relentless baddies, while Jessica Chastain and Mia Wasikowska make the most of their romantic interest roles.

What I like most about Lawless is feeling of free-fall that it conjures. The violence and revenge ratchet up steadily and surprisingly. No character is safe from dying — anything goes. And you’ll find yourself invested enough in all the characters to be pretty worried during the film’s final showdown. The movie also benefits from a rich, rural setting — terrific production design, wardrobe and cinematography.