Too Late

»Hawkes has been a must-see since Winter's Bone, and may well prove a worthy descendant of Philip Marlowe.«

L.A. Weekly

»First-time feature writer-director Dennis Hauck has crafted a strangely involving, idiosyncratic masterwork that echoes the style of such filmmakers as Quentin Tarantino, Robert Altman and even »Welcome to L.A.'s« Alan Rudolph, while amusingly honoring classic detective movie tropes… Hauck’s a talent to watch.«

Los Angeles Times

Writer-director Dennis Hauck proves his love for the classic narrative cinema with his stunning debut. His film is a genuine neo-noir that enriches American Cinema with a fair amount of drama and depth. The story about Private Eye Mel Sampson, whose search for a missing woman deeply draws him into a maelstrom of his own past, is boldly told in five non-linear acts. John Hawkes breathes so much dignity and empathy into this broken man that the screen vibrates. He is supported by wonderful actors such as Joanna Cassidy and Robert Forster. And Hauck? He supports his clever and multi-faceted story about American myths with an almost audacious technical implementation. Shot on 35mm, he decided to create each of his 20-minute acts in just one take. Interspersed with Shakespeare references Hauck tells his drama with impetus and intensity that is rarely seen in contemporary cinema. An instant American Classic.

»I think the best detective fiction is less memorable for its whodunit plots and more for the emotions of the characters and the unique view of the world that we get through the detective’s eyes.«

Dennis Hauck