Vince Vaughn Is Liam Hemsworth’s Crime Boss in This Neo-Noir Thriller on Netflix

Despite being best known for his comical side roles in films like Hot Tub Time Machine and Sex Drive, Clark Duke went in a much different direction with his directorial debut Arkansas, a neo-noir dark comedy released in early 2020. If Duke’s acting credits were mostly within the “gross out” comedy genre, then Arkansas felt like a deliberate throwback to the style of quirky crime comedies helmed by Joel and Ethan Coen that were popular in the 1990s. Duke certainly succeeded in revitalizing an antiquated genre that had mostly been brought to life on dramatic television within the past decade. The movie features Duke’s finest acting role to date, but Arkansas is worth watching solely for the unusually sinister turn from Vince Vaughn.

In many ways, the success of Arkansas may have been impeded by several factors outside of its control; a release in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic where most major theater chains were shut down meant that the film needed to compete with a sea of other streaming projects, many of which had a much more significant marketing budget. Additionally, the film’s low budget and seedy atmosphere may have made it hard to differentiate itself from the pack of many other direct-to-streaming genre titles released every year that occasionally get a major name attached. However, Arkansas is an inventive twist on the neo-noir genre that allows Vaughn to give one of his most terrifying performances to date.

Arkansas (2020)

Arkansas is a crime drama that centers on two low-level drug couriers, Kyle and Swin, who work for a mysterious Arkansas-based kingpin named Frog. Their lives take a dangerous turn when a deal goes wrong, forcing them to navigate the treacherous underworld as they try to outmaneuver both law enforcement and Frog’s deadly enforcers.

Release Date

May 5, 2020

Runtime

117 Minutes

What Is the Crime Drama ‘Arkansas’ About?

Loosely based on the novel of the same name by John Brandon, Arkansas follows a talented drug runner who is promoted to a new level of a criminal organization that forces him to relocate to Arkansas in order to work alongside the syndicate’s more experienced operatives. Kyle Ribb (Liam Hemsworth) is paired alongside the quirky local Swin Horn (Duke) as they communicate with the local park ranger Bright (John Malkovich), who is part of a conspiracy involving the local authorities. However, it becomes evident to Ribb that their enigmatic new employer is far more dangerous than anyone would have expected; Vaughn’s character, a mysterious gangster known as Frog, has become renowned for being a villain whose opponents are never given a second chance. Although Swin and Ribb discover a stash of cash that could give them the perfect excuse to retire from the business, they take the suitcase with complete knowledge that Frog isn’t going to let them escape without paying up.

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Arkansas excels at building up to Frog’s first appearance, building a mystique around the character. The film is divided into five chapters in a manner that feels like a throwback to crime movies from the 1990s, like Pulp Fiction or Things To Do In Denver When You’re Dead. The first chapter, titled “Boredom is Beautiful,” focuses exclusively on Swin and Ribb as they investigate the area and try to bridge connections with local dealers. While there are some touches of light comedy in this segment, it’s evident that their seemingly straightforward assignment is about to grow far more complicated. Vaughn is finally seen on screen in the second segment, eponymously titled “Frog,” which serves as a demented window into his past that explains how he became the most feared gangster in the area. It’s a notable shift in tone that suggests that Frog’s reputation is built on critical encounters that shaped him into an erratic, occasionally sadistic villain.

Vince Vaughn Is Genuinely Terrifying in ‘Arkansas’

Vaughn’s casting in Arkansas is perfect because it reiterates everything that audiences have come to expect from him as a star. The notion of a seasoned comedic performer taking on a straightforward dramatic role is nothing new; Steve Carell and Jonah Hill for example, earned Academy Award nominations for Foxcatcher and Moneyball, respectively. What differentiates Vaughn’s work in Arkansas is that he is occasionally allowed to show the awkward comedic charm that he had used to great effect in films like Wedding Crashers and Swingers. By drawing the audience in with the notion of familiarity, Vaughn is able to make Frog’s psychological torment of his underlings more shocking. Although Vaughn’s comedic roles often called on him to use his fast-talking persona as a defense mechanism, Arkansas allowed him to deliver a sequence of menacing threats that are simply haunting. The dialogue is often quite technical when referencing the minutiae of a criminal organization, and Vaughn’s ability to make it all feel authentic conveys how long he has been operating.

There is no ambiguity about Frog’s intentions, as his very first scene involves him double-crossing a former ally so that he can advance in the organization. This didn’t just provide Arkansas with a great villain, but made the film’s heroes more worthy of emotional investment than they would have been otherwise. Ribb and Swin are both fairly shallow characters who are often willing to cut corners in order to get ahead; while no one would accuse them of being morally righteous, they look like superheroes when compared to someone who gets as exhilarated by cruelty as Frog does.

Vaughn has succeeded in recent years by taking on more dramatic roles. After the critical disappointment of broad comedies like The Internship and Delivery Man, Vaughn decided to return to his independent roots with a terrifying performance in the brutal prison film Brawl in Cell Block 99 and a horrifically realistic role as a corrupt FBI agent in the underrated biopic Seberg. The generation that grew up with Swingers and Four Christmases may have been shocked to see this radical transition, but it finally feels like Vaughn is accepting that he thrives as a character actor. Arkansas hopefully won’t be the last time he gets to show his villainous side.

Arkansas is available to watch on Netflix in the U.S.

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