THE WAY OUT

US, 2022, 93 minutes, Colour.

Johnny Beauchamp, Mike Manning, Sherri Shepherd, Ashleigh Murray.

Directed by Barry Jay.

A small budget American feature, raising issues of sexual abuse, violence, vigilante retribution. The setting is the familiar American town, homes and apartments, AA meetings.

At the centre is the character of the young man, Alex, played by Johnny Beauchamp. He has had conflict with his brutal father who is discovered murdered. Alex inherits the house, his sponsors advise to him to sell but he opts to keep the house and lets a room to a dominating personality, Shane (Mike Manning) who takes control of Alex’s life.

Alex, low self-image, has taken to drinking but has been successful in not drinking for a year, attending AA meetings, relying on the strong sponsor, Veronica (Sherri Shepherd).

Shane takes control of Alex’s life, dominates him to acknowledge his gay orientation, but then Shane is revealed as a going to homes, advertising as an escort, but then confronts the men who hire him with their sexual abuses in the past and then murders them. Eventually, he forces Alex to go with him on one such vigilante quest, involving Alex in the violence, Alex reacting badly, drinking, reaching out to sponsors who feel that he has gone too far.

Some audiences may have forgotten about the murder of Alex’s father at the beginning but the screenplay moves effectively to solve the murder and the motivations and the links with Shane.

(This film was seen at the same time as the release of Rian Johnson’s Wake Up Dead Man in the character of the parish priest, played by Josh Brolin, has a lot in common with the character of Shane.)

1. Small budget drama? The title, expectations?
2. The setting, the American city, apartments, AA meetings, homes of victims? Realism? Musical score?
3. The story of Alex, his relationship with his father, dominating and brutal father, his father’s murder, Alex and alcoholism, motivations? AA? The meetings and sharing? Veronica as sponsor? Gracie as friend? Relying on them? One year without drinking? Then the murder?
4. The house left to Alex, his decisions, the advice to sell, his wanting to stay, offering the room for rent? Shane, arrival, the interview, the women not wanting him, Alex letting him stay?
5. Alex, susceptible to advice, his character, the issue of gay orientation, influenced by Shane, Shane and his trainer background, gymnasium in the house, the influence on Alex, violent approach, to be aware of his sexuality, to train in the gym, to stand up and fight back as a principle?
6. Shane, the audience seeing his behaviour, his targets, for hire, in the house, the abuser, the discussions, his being murdered? Shane and the further targets, confrontations, killing them? His motivations, his own abuse, vigilante revenge?
7. Shane, turning Alex against Gracie and Veronica, their characters, friendship and advice, Gracie becoming exasperated, staying at a distance?
8. Alex, influenced by Shane, Shane taking him to one of the killings, the confrontation, daring Alex to be violent, to kill? The aftermath, Alex’s reaction, drinking?
9. Veronica, the story about her son’s death, drink-driving, at the AA meetings, influence on Alex?
10. Alex, alienating Veronica, Gracie, his reaching out to them, their not responding?
11. The confrontation with Shane, the mystery of Alex’s father’s death, the revelation that Shane had killed him, the father as he of the original abuser?
12. The aftermath, the reconciliation with Veronica, trying to start again, Gracie? And Shane disappearing – and continuing his vigilante mission?