Finestkind

Finestkind, a TIFF 2023 Review

Writer and director Brian Helgeland first wrote the script for Finestkind in 1995, with Heath Ledger attached. The movie was periodically in and out of development, but after the tragic passing of Ledger, Finestkind officially entered a development hell for nearly thirty years - with names like Jake Gyllenhaal and Zendaya all cast at one point or another, and all having to leave the project when it would get held up once again.

It’s no secret that things fall in and out of development all the time in Hollywood, though, it’s difficult to understand why this film was halted for so long. The script is incredible, with superbly layered characters. There was always interest from A list talent. This is a movie that should have been jumped on by studios long ago. Thankfully, Brian Helgeland stuck it out, and the result is a magnificent ride.

The cast of Finestkind were made for these roles, and the chemistry between the characters draws you into their world and their problems effortlessly. Tommy Lee Jones gives one of the best performances of his career. Ben Foster and Toby Wallace are brilliant, and create a tense dynamic that carries through the entirety of the film. Jenna Ortega puts the many levels of her skill on display - tough, vulnerable, and putting herself squarely in the space of what is typically considered a male dominated field.

While the casting works perfectly, it is admittedly bittersweet to imagine what this film may have been in 1995. Heath Ledger was at the height of fame and a force of talent, with adoring fans that surely would have brought in an overwhelming size audience. Considering how the world lost Ledger so early on, it’s impossible to not wonder what he would have brought to the script.

The city of Boston is often the backdrop for crime dramas, and it works well. However, we normally see the drama played out in dirty cops, the Irish mob, bank heists - stereotypes that have created great movies, but have been oversaturated in recent decades. Finestkind benefits greatly by having a smaller cast size, and being a crime drama centered around a fishing crew - adding a new element to the underbelly of the Boston crime scene. The film feels fresh, rather than something we’ve already seen done. The key part of this film, in my opinion, is that Helgeland managed to inject the unmistakable 90’s style of gritty drama into every frame. Crime dramas/thrillers were at their peak in the 1990’s, and Finestkind stays true to what it was always designed to be.