Savages (2012)
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Two best friends who grow potent cannabis find themselves in a deadly power struggle with a Mexican drug cartel after their girlfriend is kidnapped.
The story
Best friends Chon and Ben are wealthy cannabis growers in Laguna Beach. Chon, a former Navy SEAL, and Ben, a business and botany graduate, cultivate a particularly potent strain that attracts a wide customer base. They are both in a relationship with Ophelia Sage. Their lives are upended when they receive a video from a Mexican drug cartel enforcer demanding a meeting. Although the duo attempts to exit the business, the cartel insists on a partnership. When Ophelia is kidnapped by the cartel leader Elena Sánchez, Chon and Ben are forced into a dangerous confrontation to rescue her.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Chon and Ben, wealthy cannabis growers in Laguna Beach, are pressured into a partnership by a Mexican drug cartel after their girlfriend, Ophelia Sage, is kidnapped. They seek help from a corrupt DEA agent, Dennis Cain, who urges them to join the cartel. After Chon stabs Dennis for intelligence, the duo attacks a cartel convoy. The cartel leader, Elena Sánchez, travels to the U.S. with Ophelia. Chon and Ben frame a high-ranking member, Alex, to turn him against Elena, leading to his brutal execution. They then kidnap Elena's daughter, Magda, to leverage her. A desert meeting is arranged to exchange the women, but it turns into a violent standoff. In an imagined sequence, Chon and Ben die together after a bloody shootout. In reality, the meeting ends with everyone except the enforcer Lado and Magda being arrested. Because Ben has dirt on Dennis, he and Chon are released. Elena is imprisoned, and the survivors eventually move to a beachside hut, living like 'savages.'
- First release year
- 2012
- Runtime (minutes)
- 130
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Oliver Stone
- Writers
- Shane Salerno · screenplay; Oliver Stone · screenplay; Don Winslow · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Taylor Kitsch · Chon; Blake Lively · Ophelia Sage; Aaron Johnson · Ben; John Travolta; Benicio del Toro; Salma Hayek; Demián Bichir
- Genres
- action; thriller; crime; drama
- Themes
- Drug trade; Kidnapping; Cartel violence; Betrayal
- Tone and mood
- Dark; Lurid; Sultry; Frantically emotional
- Premise and plot tags
- Action; Thriller; Crime; Drug Cartel; Kidnapping
- Source material / true-story basis
- Don Winslow's 2010 novel
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews, with a 50% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a 59/100 on Metacritic. It was noted for its 'messy' but 'lurid' style, with some critics praising the action and performances while others found the plot to be a 'snooze-fest.'
- Reported review scores
- CinemaScore · score: C+ · scale: A+ to F
- Awards and nominations
- ALMA Awards · Favorite Movie Actor · 2012 · Nomination; ALMA Awards · Favorite Movie Actress—Drama/Adventure · 2012 · Nomination; ALMA Awards · Favorite Movie Actor—Supporting Role · 2012 · Nomination; ALMA Awards · Favorite Movie Actress—Supporting Role · 2012 · Nomination
- Production trivia
- The estate's indoor pool was converted into a massive hydroponic cannabis farm for the film's production.; Jennifer Lawrence was originally cast as Ophelia but dropped out.; Uma Thurman played Ophelia's mother, Paqu, but her scenes were cut due to time constraints.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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