Desolate

The movie starts about by explaining it takes place in an area where it simply stopped raining sometime ago, long enough the narrator can't recall the last time it did rain. Yet there are still live trees and grass, though we are assured the farmers and cattle ranchers all pretty much went belly up and either moved away or died.

It focuses on one family that stayed, because they couldn't afford to move. I'm unclear how they're still alive, but whatever. They ultimately get crosswise of a human trafficking/drug operation, and everyone starts dying.

I didn't really grasp where things were happening in relation to one another. How far they were traveling. The story shifts to a town eventually, but we're told there's no escaping the gang because there's only one road out, and they control it. I mean, the terrain doesn't look that bad, and they're using dirtbikes, I think they could go cross-country if they wanted. I guess we're meant to take the character's word for it that they're trapped and can't simply flee, but I couldn't buy in.

There's the core of potential with the family, at this point down to the father and his four sons. The father thinks his youngest, Billy, isn't sufficiently dedicated, and figures branding him will inspire proper loyalty. Seems as though it would promote the exact opposite, but OK. One of the brothers seems to be ready to seize the opportunity to do whatever he wants, the other two want to hold the family together, but aren't smart enough to see they're going about it the wrong way. Billy just wants to hang out with his girlfriend. I don't know if he realizes he'd be better off away from these idiots.

There's a whole other part though, about a guy working to find the brothers after their robbery, where it isn't entirely clear what his motives are. That didn't interest me much. He's really just a way for Billy to not die after he gets shot, and to move some of the pieces where they need to be.