Johnny Frank Garrett’s Last Word (formerly just The Last Word) is a stupid movie. That may seem like shallow criticism but it is in fact a stupid movie that thinks it’s a lot smarter than it is, which makes it even worse. Directed by Simon Rumley (Red, White and Blue), the film plays like a Lifetime movie that had a baby with a SyFy movie. While that may sound like good trashy fun, it’s actually the exact opposite. Johnny Frank Garrett’s Last Word is a dull exercise in pretension whose only true saving grace is the fact that it runs at a mercifully brief 95 minutes.
Based on true events and Jesse Quackenbush’s 2008 documentary The Last Word, the film tells the story of Johnny Frank Garrett (Devin Bonneé), a mentally disabled 17-year-old who, in 1982, was (supposedly) wrongly convicted of the rape and murder of 76-year-old nun Sister Tadea Benz. Claiming innocence from day one, the Amarillo native wrote a letter on the day of his execution in 1992 declaring vengeance on all parties involved. The film takes the story one step further as those involved in the execution start dying one by one. Adam Redman (Mike Doyle, The Invitation, Green Lantern), one of the jurors who was skeptical about Garrett’s guilt, tries to solve the mystery of who actually killed Sister Tadea Benz in order to save his son, whom Garrett has targeted next.
Overacting is the name of the game in Johnny Frank Garrett’s Last Word. Only Erin Cummings, as Redman’s wife Lara, manages to get by unscathed. Everyone else on screen seems to only be interested in chewing scenery in the worst way possible. This is perhaps the most true of Sean Patrick Flanery, as a corrupt district attorney, whose performance consists of a lot of shouting and spitting in an overly exaggerated Southern drawl. Similarly, Sue Rock’s portrayal of the police-informing psychic has to be seen to be believed. It is absolutely ridiculous. The film is also littered with Southern stereotypes, to the point where it becomes borderline offensive. These are not real people, but rather caricatures of Bible-belters.
One can’t help but feel that Johnny Frank Garrett’s Last Word is insensitive to the real Johnny Frank Garrett. Whether he was innocent or not (and the film takes a definitive stance on his innocence early on, though his innocence has never officially been proven), why take this man’s life and turn it into a supernatural schlock-fest? It cheapens the actual events surrounding this supposedly innocent man’s life.
The worst part is, the film is dull. With so much going on on screen, you would think that there would be one iota of suspense, but there really isn’t. Rumley’s attempts to terrify consist of quick cuts to disturbing imagery. None of it ever gets under your skin the way it should and after the tenth or so instance these flashes to disturbing imagery become tedious. The sound design that accompanies these edits is an obnoxious assault on the eardrums that does enhance the viewing experience whatsoever.
The editing is all over the place as well. One instance sees a(nother) quick cut to a plane crash that is so poorly done that it feels like it belongs in an episode of South Park (and should be accompanied by a fart sound instead of the explosion that actually happens). The poor editing makes it feel like you’re watching a student film. Of course, the film could still be recut before it sees distribution, so these problems may be remedied in the coming months.
Screenwriters Ben Ketai and Marc Haimes don’t seem to know if they want the film to be a Final Destination-type thriller or a serious courtroom drama about the problems in our justice system (a la The Life of David Gale). If it was only the former, it would come across as a cheap way to cash in on a real-life tragedy. If it was only the latter, it wouldn’t have that supernatural hook to make the film stand out and draw in the genre fans it so badly wants to impress. Rather than choose to be just one of those things, Johnny Frank Garrett’s Last Word is a weird mashup of the two that doesn’t work in the slightest.
Johnny Frank Garret’s Last Word has a high concept premise that holds a lot of promise, but the execution is so poorly done that I can’t in good faith give it a recommendation. It probably won’t see a wide theatrical release and will probably find itself released on VOD platforms, so if you’re especially curious you can give it a watch then. Just don’t say I didn’t warn you.
Johnny Frank Garrett’s Last Word premiered at the 30th Annual SXSW Music, Film and Interactive Conferences and Festivals on Sunday March 13, 2016 and is currently seeking distribution.
