The film “Hellion”, directed by Kat Candler, was released in 2014 and starred Aaron Paul and Josh Wiggins. It is a drama that addresses powerful themes such as troubled adolescence and the complexities of family relationships.
An emotional and disturbing film that explores the story of a troubled young man who struggles to deal with the absence of his mother, and the difficult relationship with his father.
Let’s dive into this emotional film and uncover how Aaron Paul excels in his role.
Aaron Paul’s remarkable performance
In Hellion, Aaron Paul plays Hollis Wilson, a widowed father, who faces great challenges trying to raise his two sons, Jacob and Wes. The plot develops around Jacob, the eldest son, played by Josh Wiggins, a rebellious teenager who is in constant emotional conflict.
Aaron Paul’s participation in this film is remarkable and captivating. It uniquely illustrates the conflicting forces that Hollis faces daily. His performance reflects the true complexity of a father trying to balance his love for his family, with the growing frustrations of his own life.
The chemistry between Aaron Paul and Josh Wiggins is remarkable on screen. The dynamic between the characters Hollis and Jacob is visceral and moving. Aaron brings a layer of vulnerability to Hollis, showing his sincere desire to do what’s best for his children, even if he doesn’t always know how to deal with his own internal struggles.
Aaron Paul’s talent is evident in every scene of Hellion. He is capable of transmitting intense and complex emotions, whether through silence or his striking dialogues. His performance establishes a deep connection with the audience, awakening an empathy and understanding for his struggles as a father and individual.
Final considerations
The reflection that remains when the film ends is that we should not judge anyone, labeling them “good or bad”, sometimes, certain situations can lead an individual to acting in a way that they might not like.
Thinking about Hollis’ story: He didn’t know how to deal with his wife’s death, it left him completely unstructured, and his actions then sadly reflected onto his children, who were just children.
It is possible to imagine that in another context, given the right conditions, perhaps Hollis could have been a good father. He could have been more loving, attentive and dedicated to his children, and the story of that family could have been different.
An emotionally powerful film, and Aaron Paul’s performance adds incredible weight to the story. His delivery as Hollis brings a remarkable authenticity to the narrative, leading viewers to reflect on the challenges of parenthood, as well as the resilience and strength needed to face adversity.
If you’re looking for a film that delves into the complexities of family life, be sure to check out Hellion. And prepare to be captivated by Aaron Paul’s performance.
You can find more about Aaron Paul’s works on the ‘Showcase’ page.
The British Additional by @jilboskilbos
If you are British, you may not be as familiar with this film title because certainly in the UK (I’m not sure about the rest of Europe) this film was pacaged with the name ‘Retribution’.
As a marketing type, I dislike everything about this rebrand. Retribution as a title has little, or no meaning to the final story/product. In fact, when reading the DVD description of the film I have to say I think the person in charge was watching a completely different movie. When I first purchased this movie, very early in my discovery of AP I admit I was expecting a VERY different style of film, by the description. ‘Enter the high octane world of moto cross’ – I mean yeah, it appears in the movie but it’s not really entering that world at all. I really could go on, but this was supposed to be brief. The UK needs to sit on the naughty step for the bad it did to this movie on the home retail market, just so very bad, the movie deserved better! End of rant…
