DVD Review: Echoes Of War

Echoes Of War
Director: Kane Senes
Starring: James Badge Dale, Ethan Embry, William Forsythe, Maika Monroe
Studio: ARC Entertainment
Release Date: July 7, 2015
Retail: $20.99
ASIN: B00W3W2QB4
Running Time: 99 minutes
Rating: R
Buy Link: Amazon

Review:

Arriving on DVD on Tuesday July 7, 2015 is the western-drama Echoes Of War. Co-written and directed by Kane Senes, the film stars James Badge Dale (The Lone Ranger, Iron Man 3), Ethan Embry, William Forsythe (The Rock, Once Upon a Time in America) and Maika Monroe. There are no extras or special features on the single-disc.

Echoes Of War centers on a Confederate veteran Wade (played by James Badge Dale) returning home to the post-Civil War Texas to visit his brother-in-law Seamus Riley (played by Ethan Embry), his niece Abigail (played by Maika Monroe) and nephew (played by Owen Teague), only to learn that the family is still grieving the death of his sister and that they are barely making it on selling animal pelts.

The neighboring Randolph McCluskey (played by William Forsythe) has had his own share of grief with the death of his son, which is drove his wife Doris (played by Beth Broderick) crazy. Plus, he lost most of his cattle during the war.

All the built up anger from the war finally comes out when Wade catches McCluckey's son Dillard (played by Ryan O'Nan) stealing from their animal traps, which starts a feud between the two families. Once Wade learns that his niece is romantically involved with the McCluckey's youngest son, Marcus (played by Rhys Wakefield), it sparks a chain events that will leave blood being spilled upon their lands.

Despite receiving mixed to negative reviews from critics, I actually enjoyed watching Echoes Of War for the most part. There aren't too many westerns being released to theaters, so fans of the genre have to look for VOD or direct-to-DVD titles. While at times the plot is a bit slow and borrows heavily from the Hatfield and McCoy famous feud, the acting is superb, especially the performances from James Badge Dale and Ethan Emery. Overall, Echoes Of War is a surprisingly gritty western from start to finish.