Table of Contents
The Bad Shepherd (2024) is a film streaming on Hulu about a group of friends who head out for a hunting trip. Along the way, they find an abandoned car and a briefcase of money that tests their friendship.
Looking up this film before watching might discourage you from watching it all. For me, I was spending the day giving myself a manicure and pedicure and just wanted some entertainment. When I read the quick synopsis, it seemed like an easy movie to get through. I figured this film would be just enough to help me get through finishing my beauty routine. I didn't have any expectations to become fully immersed in the film, but rather assumed it would serve as background noise. How many films are there where a friendship or relationship is tested and how often are those tests related to money? We have Indecent Proposal (1993), Fair Play (2023), The Family That Preys (2008), and countless more. I figured The Bad Shepard would just be about a group of friends coming to realize that the friend they could never rely on ultimately proves money is more important than friendship.
This actually does happen in the film, as I suspected, and only about 10 minutes in. Once they find an abandon car and money, one member of the group immediately becomes lawless. What makes this film more special than how it is originally portrayed, is this random character that comes to the group of friends with an ultimatum – either they give the money to him or they die. Either way he'll leave with the money. He promises them this. The moment this character enters the scene with the ultimatum, my attention was grabbed. The group of friends, once they discovered the money, started to fall apart like really tender meat falling off the bone. There's endless buried secrets between all of them that quickly become unearthed, but they decide to push it all aside to "try" and work together against this random character, to keep the money. The "all together" effort of the friends to keep the money fails miserable as the mysterious character, with almost no effort, divides them even further than before.
The film takes dramatic turns, whipping from thriller to fantasy to horror. This film is like an ace up one's sleeve. The surprise character in the film takes what you would expect to be a typical story, and it catches you off guard. The mysterious character is only one of many twist within the film. Despite not having a high budget, I highly rate the story. The film doesn't rely on stunts, post production, and it really doesn't need the extra razzle dazzle, as the story is strong enough on its own. I think the writer, Ryan David Jahn does a sharp job crafting the audience to believe they can predict the simple trajectory of the film from the beginning, only to flip the switch on what the film is really about. Director Geo Santini, who's also casted in the film, shapes the movie to be a double-edged story about long term friendship falling apart, while evoling darker forces are at play. It's an unexpected, fun watch, check it out and let me know what you think!
