My Father Die

My Father Die may boast a bizarrely graceless title, but that's the least of this revenge saga's shortcomings, which number in the dozens and conspire to make it an early contender for worst of 2017. Written and directed by Sean Brosnan (son of Pierce), this pointless, affected and rancid piece of Southern-fried bayou pulp concerns a young boy named Asher who watches as his supernaturally psycho dad (Gary Stretch) kills his older brother (Chester Rushing) -- and smacks Asher around so bad he loses his hearing. Then, as a deaf adult, Asher (Joe Anderson) endeavors to kill his pa upon the homicidal man's release from prison.

What follows is a grungy vengeance mission full of black-and-white flashbacks set to faux-Mailickian narration ("Mother Earth knows life moves in cycles"), webcam porn, deviant preachers, Down's syndrome–afflicted priests, cherubic children, S&M–style masturbation, violent rape, perfunctory shootouts, random appearances by The Dukes of Hazzard alum John Schneider and the repeated sight of Asher strutting about in slow motion while holding a shotgun and wearing sunglasses and his brother's wolf-skin headdress. Biblical paintings are also sprinkled throughout the action in an attempt to give this Gummo-by-way-of-Southern Comfort stew some heft. Yet from homophobic start to misogynistic finish, My Father Die is a parade of thrift-store images and scenarios as dull as they are repugnant.