Starring: Patrick Swayze, Adam Baldwin, Helen Hunt, Bill Paxton, Liam Neeson, Ben Stiller
Review: When their brother Gerald (Bill Paxton) is murdered by a Chicago mobster (Adam Baldwin), Truman (Patrick Swayze) and Briar Gates (Liam Neeson) differ on how to respond. Briar, who believes in an-eye-for-an-eye justice, wants to retaliate, but Chicago policeman Truman thinks it's a matter for the authorities. But when Briar comes to Chicago and tensions escalate, the entire Gates clan sets out to even the score.
Next of Kin is a slow-burning 80's action flick with a fantastic cast. The cast here is it's greatest strength and really carries the film. Patrick Swayze is great as the authoritarian lawman who struggles between doing right and wrong in the name of family revenge. Liam Neeson also does a fantastic job as the reckless renegade Gates brother who is hell bent on getting Truman to see things his way. It's also interesting to see a young Ben Stiller here, in one of his earliest roles before becoming a comedic superstar. While this film moves slowly at first, the last act is highly entertaining. As a sum of its parts, Next of Kin is essentially a somewhat predictable film brimming with mafia and hillbilly stereotypes. However, the conflict between these two vastly different families is fun to watch play out despite some of the obvious silliness surrounding the situation. I watched this movie solely based on it's A+ cast, but I was pleasantly surprised to find an enjoyable, goofy revenge flick. Definitely check this one out!