“The Big Ugly is a fascinating beast... Vinnie Jones delivers an exceptional performance... Scott Wiper has helmed a bracingly attractive thriller with ugly consequences. It’s everything you want in a revenge-action flick.”
— Andrew Stover, FILM THREAT
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 “The Big Ugly”, a wildly entertaining, over-the-top, blood-soaked, noir-Western from director/co-writer Scott Wiper that’s filled with stunning visuals of the breathtaking and sometimes foreboding countryside (with Morehead, Kentucky, standing in for West Virginia) and searing performances from the ensemble cast" - Richard Roeper, The Chicago Sun-Times
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Writer-director Scott Wiper’s The Big Ugly is the best kind of genre film, a crime movie aware of the traditions in which it’s working but not beholden to them; combining elements of ’40s and ’50s crime fiction (Jim Thompson seems to be a particular touchstone) with the flavor of ’70s Sam Peckinpah and Walter Hill filtered through the visual grammar of ’90s Tony Scott, The Big Ugly synthesizes its influences into a unique and compelling western noir. Its emotional power comes largely from Wiper’s richly textured script and the performances by his consistently riveting ensemble, which includes Vinnie Jones, Malcolm McDowell, Ron Perlman, Leven Rambin, Bruce McGill and Nicholas Braun as the players in an oil and money laundering scheme gone bad. What takes the movie to a whole other level is the consistently innovative cinematography by Jeremy Osbern, who, like Wiper, incorporates a wide array of influences, then dazzles the viewer with inventive ways of reimagining them.
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 "Much more complex than it appears on the surface, this is a film full of multi-layered characters powered by great performances, addressing familiar cinematic subjects with a voice of its own." - Jennie Kermode, Eye For Film  ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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‘The Big Ugly’ is a Surprisingly Gentle, Character-driven Thriller Starring Vinnie Jones"
“...you’ll see the morally dubious nature of Jim Thompson’s literature, the deathly code of honor that killed Sam Peckinpah’s’ Wild Bunch. At the same time, the characters of this film (besides Junior) are motivated by the love of others. It’s not a nihilistic story, it’s about giving meaning to one’s life. It’s about finding something to die for. The most important of all, it seems, is loving someone.” - Chris Van Dijk, Movie Babble
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"The character of Neelyn played by Jones is one of his best. Striking through a range of emotions and showing us a human side to what could have been a straight up thug. Jones really delivers a career best. Every character is well written and acted out and you find yourself invested in them through the movie."
 
‘“The Big Ugly” is a perfect drive-in release this weekend. It’s a film that harkens to that very American outdoor cinema experience, watching lurid, vulgar pictures from the comfort of our vehicles.” - The Newnan Times-Herald
https://times-herald.com/news/2020/07/the-big-ugly-vinnie-jones-stars-in-drive-in-actioner
 
“VIN’S PITCH PERFECT.”

“He’s surprisingly soulful as the film’s tortured anti-hero.”

“...the performances are excellent.”
— London’s Daily Star
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"Featuring big guns, high stakes, and an A-list cast, The Big Ugly is a perfect film for fans of crime and action cinema"
- The Pitch Kansas City
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