Midnight in the Switchgrass

"Can they stop a serial killer who can't stop himself?"

2021 1h 39m EN

😐

5.8

MID

★5.8TMDB · 492

CrimeMysteryThrillerAction

Synopsis

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FBI Agent Karl Helter and his partner Rebecca Lombardo are very close to busting a sex-trafficking ring. When they realize their investigation has crossed the path of a brutal serial killer, they team up with a FDLE agent to put an end to the infamous 'Truck Stop Killer'.

“Can they stop a serial killer who can't stop himself?”

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Cast

Megan Fox
Rebecca Lombardo
Bruce Willis
Karl Helter
Emile Hirsch
Byron Crawford
Lukas Haas
Peter Hillborough
Caitlin Carmichael
Tracy
Olive Abercrombie
Bethany
Lydia Hull
Karen
Welker White
Ms. Georgia Kellogg

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Randall Emmett
Writers: Alan Horsnail
Languages: English
Countries: Puerto Rico, United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Earned back only 2% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 5 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: Puerto Rico, United States of America.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Randall Emmett, shot by Duane 'DC' Manwiller. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Robin Stout. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Colby Parker, Jr. shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Megan Fox and Bruce Willis and Emile Hirsch carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Can they stop a serial killer who can't stop himself?".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Randall Emmett directs. Duane 'DC' Manwiller behind the camera. Robin Stout scores. Colby Parker, Jr. cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. A commercial under-performer on release. Produced in Puerto Rico, United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Earned back only 2% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
2Released 5 years ago.
3International production across 2 countries: Puerto Rico, United States of America.
4Directed by Randall Emmett, shot by Duane 'DC' Manwiller. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Robin Stout. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Colby Parker, Jr. shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Megan Fox and Bruce Willis and Emile Hirsch carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "Can they stop a serial killer who can't stop himself?".
9IMDB entry: tt11656220 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

The technical file

Cinematography: Duane 'DC' Manwiller
Original score: Robin Stout
Editing: Colby Parker, Jr.
Production design: Mailara Santana
Costume design: Ana C. Ramirez Velez
Makeup / hair: Tobi Henney
Stunt coordinator: Cole S. McKay
Runtime: 99 min · 1h 39m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $15,000,000
Box office: $229,811
Return: 2% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: Midnight in the Switchgrass (2021)

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Randall Emmett

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Community reviews

What people are saying

JPV8522021-07-26
★ 4/10
Generally I love crime-thrillers (both fiction and non-fiction) and this had some good elements, but the editing was shoddy, performances uneven with Bruce Willis once again phoning it in. He has maybe 10-minutes of a screentime and is a non-factor with the plot outside of being Megan Fox's partner who disappears only to briefly show up at the end. As for Fox she at least was okay, though not entirely believable as an FBI agent and Emile Hirsch and his southern accent sounded off, not entirely sure why he had it, didn't really play into his character nor the region. Lukas Haas as the serial killer has his moments though his performance and the character isn't anything different than what had been done on Criminal Minds. Wanted to really like this but never quite works. Has an ending that should've been filled with suspense but instead was awkwardly edited and just was lackluster. 2.25/5
5rJoud2021-07-28
★ 1/10
I know by now that Bruce on the cover probably means a whole lot of driveling banter piss caught on tape in feature length. But the premise and Emile Hirsch co-starring caught my interest. Turns out Emile is the lead really, Megan Fox the damsel in distress and the guy responsible for the editing is the real villain. The dialogue was boring, the story done better many times already, so the director could have learned something beforehand easily when taking this on. Unfortunately for the crime flick fan this is sub-par. And for everybody else it's just cringe-worthy bad.
Wuchak2022-04-03
★ 7/10
A serial killer stalks the Interstate in northern Florida The bodies of seven young women are found along I-10 in the Panhandle of Florida, mostly prostitutes that service truckers at rest stops. A determined State officer (Emile Hirsch) and an equally resolute FBI agent (Megan Fox) team-up to find the murderer. Lukas Haas is also on hand while Bruce Willis has a small role. "Midnight in the Switchgrass" (2021) is a crime drama/thriller that cost $15 million and was inspired by serial killer Robert Ben Rhoades, aka The Truck Stop Killer. It combines the typical film noir-ish detective story of “Kiss the Girls” (1997) with elements of “The Onion Field” (1979), “Breakdown” (1997) and “Butchers” (2020). Both Emile Hirsch and Lukas Haas stand out on the acting front with convincing performances. A few of the peripherals are notable as well (e.g. the little daughter, her mother, the captured teen girl and the neighbor). Willis was hired for name-recognition and did all his scenes in one day, which is obvious. But, since his part is so small, it's not a major drawback. As for Megan Fox, no producer hires her because she's Meryl Streep, but rather because she's stunning. That said, I think she did a fine job, except for a couple scenes with Bruce (where they were obviously pressed for time). Speaking of Fox, I haven’t seen her in a movie for ten years. She turned 34 during shooting and is more alluring than ever. Meanwhile winsome Caitlin Carmichael was almost 16 during shooting and is surprisingly remarkable as the captive teen. Sistine Rose Stallone (Sylvester’s daughter) is also worth noting on the feminine front. The last act does create some quality suspense. While it's understandably a grey flick that focuses on the ugly side of life, there are rays of reverence, wisdom and hope. Musician Machine Gun Kelly appears in a few sequences with Megan. He must’ve worked his charisma on her because, although she was married for a decade to Brian Austin Green at the time, the two would start dating and are currently engaged. The film runs 1 hour, 39 minutes, and was shot in Pensacola, Puerto Rico and Cincinnati (filming was interrupted at midpoint due to the plandemic and so alternative plans had to be made for completion). GRADE: B-/B