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Stars: Paul Sloan, Jake Weber, Richard Dreyfuss
Director: Christian Sesma
Distributor: 101 Films

“Please call me, Dad.”

Jake Hunter (Paul Sloan) is a father out on the loose. His daughter is missing, and he demands answers. 

Jake’s pursuit of his missing daughter leads him to a small, no-good desert town where corruption is as high as the temperature. But Jake has the intention to turn the heat up even further. Colliding with Nichols (Jake Weber) – the head of a security firm, who practically owns the town – after roughing up his son in a bar, has Jake engrossed in not only police custody, but ferocious danger, and edging closer to the truth. Every Last One of Them is a journey of revenge and justice, but just how far will, and can, one man go?

An intriguing film, Every Last One of Them initially plays out in the vein of a western. Jake arriving at the local bar, is captured and shot in an excellent fashion. Instantly, Paul Sloan’s toughness and physical demeanor, and mystique, are all there to be admired and subsequently anticipate his further actions. As the film progresses and the notions of revenge and justice are more apparent, we begin to see a more enraged, passionate and even vulnerable Jake. 

Brought in to aid the search for Jake, Richard Dreyfuss is former black ops mentor, Murphy. Dreyfuss’ involvement in the film establishes and progresses a great similarity to that of First Blood. In the first instalment of the Rambo franchise, Col. Trautman (Richard Crenna) is brought in to aid the search for fugitive John Rambo (Sylvester Stallone) in the woodlands. In Every Last One of Them, amid Jake’s traumatic meltdown of sorts within a slight wilderness, Murphy assists the local police force in their search for Jake. The parallels between the two films are great, and exciting for any fans of First Blood, though there are instances where Every Last One of Them feels like a carbon copy.

Whilst Jake’s pursuit of revenge is exciting, where he can only use vengeance to achieve any form of justice, there is a severe weak element to the other side of this storytelling coin. Of course, we possess the intrigue to observe the lifestyle and actions of the film’s main villain, Nichols – we love to see what makes the bad guys bad, essentially. In the case of Nichols, he’s a bastard, but not consistently evil or grotesque. Aside from his corrupt security operation, he has big links and ties to a billion dollar deal between both his boss and the US Government. Here’s the issue: there’s not enough runtime to thoroughly explore this, nor is it that interesting. There is an attempt to establish the concept of the billion dollar water deal as a worthy layer to the story, and add depth, but ultimately, it is a severe waste of time. Again, adding depth to the villain’s story is great, but this adds nothing. What we want to see is Jake going on a mad one, maybe even Nichols contemplating the fate of his own life and family as Jake draws nearer. 

The presentations of drugs, rape, and other forms of abuse are all difficult to observe. Every Last One of Them does a terrific job of presenting the filth and scum. Contextually, this is a very dark film. At times, it’s horrible to watch. Outside of stylised action sequences, this is a gritty film entailing a sharp array of WILD content. 

Ultimately, under director Christian Sesma, Every Last One of Them is a good film…for the most part. The inconsistent storylines, and the intertwining of them, suggests that the multi-writer team doesn’t benefit the true vision of Sesma for this film. Aside from a weak sub-plot, Jake’s quest for the truth, justice and vengeance is magnificent. A true spectacle. Paul Sloan is fantastic. Thanks to a combination of Sloan’s acting, and his character’s portrayal, Every Last One of Them exists as one of the best DVD/VOD films of the year.

Every Last One of Them is out now on DVD and digital in the UK. Many thanks to both Aim Publicity and 101 Films for the plreasure of this film.

3 Stars

Dom.

For John.

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This article’s featured image: By Source, 101 Films, Fair Use