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Synopsis: “Trapped in a freak spring blizzard, a fading rodeo cowboy reflects on his past life choices as he battles the elements and fights for survival.”

Life is undeniably a series struggle, constant battles big and small that we have to persevere through. Doors are opening and closing in our faces while we have to somehow survive through it all. When each bad day carries over into the next, triggering a domino effect of trials. Broke captures Wyatt Russell like we’ve never seen him before in a chilly battle for survival. When the young bronco rider reflects on his life and how he has gotten to where he is, he finds himself face to face with his choices. An equally moving and harrowing film, Broke is one of the year’s best.

We first get to know True Brandywine (Wyatt Russell) as he’s waking up in a wintry field, covered in snow; he panics as he gains his consciousness. From the get-go, Broke makes it known that True is struggling, not just physically but mentally as well. A young man who is trying to find his way through life as a bronco rider in the rodeo, his chosen passion will leave scars, and not just the physical ones. When True is on the back of a bronc, that’s where he feels his life has the most purpose, but there’s no future in the path he has chosen. He comes from humble beginnings; he has a father, George (Dennis Quaid), who wants the best for his son but often comes off as strict. A loving mother, Kathy (Mary McDonnell), supports him through his wildest moments, and a younger brother, Caleb (Johnny Berchtold), whom he adores.

True wants more from life than having to live with his parents while making a measly amount of winnings for work that is risking his health. When he’s not riding in the rodeo, he’s home with his brother and parents, working their field and dreaming of being somewhere else. He hears almost constant lectures from his father to fix his truck and find out what he is going to do with his life. There’s a creative side to True that he expresses through his artwork, an attribute of him that his mother often encourages. His father pushes both of his boys to join the Marines and have fulfilling lives, advice that his brother takes and enlists while True puts his health in danger to continue his passion. Once the young bronco rider finds love within a new relationship with Ali (Auden Thorton), True has a new purpose in life.

Broke is an intensely moving debut from writer and director Carlyle Eubank that, on the surface, seems like it will be any run-of-the-mill direct-to-video western. But once you press play, Eubank puts you directly into the life of a man in peril, showcasing the best and worst moments of his life at a nonlinear pace. Eubank does a great job of drawing the audience in with the dire situation True finds himself in as he treads through a snowy landscape, desperately trying to survive. Injecting moments of his past into the film, there’s a balance of the chaos and the mundane; both sides of the story are captivating, especially those small moments between characters.

Fresh off of Thunderbolts* acclaim, Broke comes at a high time for Russell, and after checking out a large amount of his work, he’s at his best while playing True. He has an authenticity that he brings to the character and plays the role of a country boy perfectly. His rugged look pairs well with his often quiet demeanor, someone who is barely holding it together but keeps a brave face. Russell is essentially playing three different sides of True: the farmhand son, the artistic boyfriend, and the courageous bronco rider; each has a distinct personality that Russell shows through shifting mannerisms and tone of voice. Thorton brings the best out of Russell in their shared scenes together, introducing a romance to the film that left my eyes misty. Her scenes may be fewer than I wanted, but she does a lot with what she’s given.

For fans of the visuals in Smile and Smile 2, there’s good news to be had, as cinematographer Charlie Sarroff returns with Broke. The best aspect of this film, hands down, is the visuals; where the story becomes repetitive, the visuals carry the film through. What Sarroff does so well is capturing the beautiful countryside. Large, wide-open fields are dreamlike when juxtaposed with the dreadfully cold and bitter nightmare conditions True finds himself in. Slow motion is used just enough during the rodeo scenes, creating some beautifully tragic visuals; although the horse and the skill displayed are captivating, the outcome is often shown to cause irreversible damage to True’s health. Sarroff shows True’s most prized moments in life masterfully.

Overall Broke is a nearly flawless feature from Eubank. Taking a young man at his most broken and vulnerable in a fight for his life, it’s unfortunate this isn’t getting a theatrical release. Russell brings his all into Broke with his dedicated performance that shows he’s an actor to keep an eye on. There’s plenty to love about the film’s visuals, performances, and solid storytelling.

Rating: 4/5

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