Joe

Nicolas Cage leads this Southern gothic drama as the titular ex-con who becomes friend and protector for a hard-luck teen (Tye Sheridan, Mud). When Joe catches wind of the boy's violent father, he slowly edges closer to bringing out old, dangerous habits. From David Gordon Green (Pineapple Express).

"Based on Larry Brown's acclaimed novel, the film tells the story of a kind-hearted excon (Cage), who oversees a group of Mississippi men who clear trees for a large lumber company. When Gary (Sheridan), a determined fifteen-year-old, shows up looking for work, Joe is hesitant to turn him away. After taking him on as part of the crew, Joe soon becomes a father figure. It's an easy role to fill, since Gary's own father is a brutal alcoholic. In a desperate attempt to escape his troubled household, Gary runs away from his family, looking to Joe for refuge. But Joe is no simple Samaritan. Recently released from prison, and with his own history of erratic acts, he makes for an unpredictable protector. And yet the two see something in each other, some core of dignity that might survive their ragged lives." (Toronto International Film Festival)

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