Review of Tyrannosaur (2011) by Keenan S — 13 Apr 2018

Tyrannosaur is a devastating drama that offers no easy answers to its viewers and no cheesy, sentimental ways out for its troubled characters as they struggle with their own personal Hell. Joseph is a widower, an alcoholic, and a man with rage so intense it's as if he is a perpetual powder keg waiting to go off on a moment's notice.

The viewer will certainly not be warmed to him in the beginning, given that in a moment of rage after being kicked out of a bar, he kicks his dog so hard in the ribs that it dies from its injuries. Continuing his streak, he gets into another bar fight days later, and when he flees, he hides in a Christian charity shop run by a woman named Hannah - a closet alcoholic stuck in an abusive, loveless marriage.

Despite this, she is a warm person who seems to be able to calm Joseph and the two form a connection. It's a contrasting connection that is a culture shock for the two - Joseph being treated kindly by someone and Hannah encountering someone so gruff, angry, and who openly questions her belief in God during a later encounter.

Despite their rocky bond, they develop a friendship and seek solace in one another. Hannah eventually seeks refuge with Joseph after her husband beats her and rapes her because of harsh comments she made to him after he verbally abused her.

The two move in together, but there's only so long that Joseph's temper can be kept at bay and Hannah is keeping a dark secret. It's a harrowing film and not an easy viewing, but for those who like their dramas to challenge them, provoke them, and punch them in the gut, Tyrannosaur is a brilliant film that never gives into sentimentality or cliches.

It's one of the best films of the decade and among the all-time greats I've seen from its genre.