In some ways, Chad (Michael Fassbender) certainly lives up to the conventional model of the nuclear family. He's got a faithful wife, two kids and a steady source of income, all's good in those respects. Problem is, the guy is living in a trailer park with his gangster father, Colby (Brendan Gleeson), and that steady source of income tends to come from various heists and other illicit activities Chad (along with other assorted characters living in the trailer park) pulls off for his dad. Chad's convinced he'll finally break free from his controlling father once and for all, he'll pick up a good house of his own and finally be away from the influence of his dangerous dad.
But getting out of such living conditions are harder than one might think, especially with the imposing pull Colby has on both the local residents and Chad's own son who is becoming riveted by the tales of ignorance and rebellion his grandfather feeds him. Further problems arise when a new heist that his dad sends him on ends up getting him a high level of attention by the police. With all this on his shoulders, one must wonder, is there really way Chad can ever be truly free from his father or is he doomed to always do his old man's dirty work and then pass on this crime-ridden lifestyle to his own offspring?
So, Trespass Against Us is this really odd movie in terms of the tone it conveys. The screenplay by Alastair Siddons chooses to frame this tale of the familial cycle of abuse in an incredibly bleak manner for the majority of its running time, complete with the anguish of children occurring on-screen, the murder of a dog barely off-screen and Colby being depicted as an obvious antagonistic figure, one who fills Chad's son's head with lies and isn't above physically abusing Chad if he steps out of line. Trespass Against Us is clearly setting itself up as an unflinching gaze upon what happens when people get trapped in an abusive cycle of behavior they can't break free from.
The darker aesthetic seems to be a proper tonal fit for this plotline, even if the script itself engages in some weaker narrative choices. For instance, the various individuals squatting in the trailer park area Chad, his family and Colby are living in are one-note caricatures that seem like rejects from Snatch while, more distressingly, the lack of a personality given to Chad's significant other, Kelly (Lyndsey Marshall) feels like a missed dramatic opportunity. On the other hand, the various interactions between Chad and his dad are handled quite well, with Colby coming off as an accurate depiction of an abusive individual, one who's always the good guy in his warped mind and is able to emanate a presence so intimidating it's no wonder Chad is concerned about breaking free of his orders.
Those sequences where Chad and his father bounce off each other are where Michael Fassbender and Brendan Gleeson really get to flex their muscles as actors, they put in some strong work in depicting their characters troubled relationship. But these two can't salvage the bizarre final twenty minutes of the movie where things take an out-of-nowhere turn for the treacly, as the previously grim proceedings suddenly become bright & sunny, complete with an inspirational speech Chad gives to his son about how his kid will have to now live up to the strength inherent in his families name. I'd love to ask director Adam Smith where such a drastic tonal turn was supposed to come from. Where did this even come from? Trespass Against Us was certainly heavily imperfect before this climax but at least it was channeling the proper tone for its storyline. Going for such unearned schmaltz to close out this film just feels wrong on multiple levels. Sorry fellow Michael Fassbender and Brendan Gleeson fans, Trespass Against Us is yet another movie that just can't use the talents of these two actors properly.
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