Truth or Consequences, N.M. (film)

Truth or Consequences, N.M. is a 1997 American neo-noir film directed by Kiefer Sutherland starring Sutherland, Vincent Gallo, Mykelti Williamson, Kevin Pollak, Max Perlich, Rod Steiger and Kim Dickens among others.

Plot
Raymond Lembecke is an ex-con just out of prison after serving time for selling drugs for his boss Eddie Grillo. Lembecke was innocent, but took the fall for Grillo. Lembecke thinks Grillo owes him, so when his former boss gets him a measly job in a warehouse, he decides on revenge and plans to steal a million dollars' worth of drugs from him.

Lembecke plans the heist with Marcus Weans, who unbeknownst to them is an undercover DEA agent, and the disturbed trigger-happy Curtis Freley. Lembecke's girlfriend Addy Monroe also comes along. Curtis kills an undercover DEA agent (who's wearing a wire) during the heist. They decide to skip town and head to Las Vegas to sell the stolen goods; later they hope to make it to Mexico.

As they head out of the city they kidnap a couple who own a recreational vehicle. But soon, hostage Gordon Jacobson falls under the spell of the Stockholm syndrome and begins to emulate his kidnappers and wants to stay involved in their hunt. In addition to fleeing the police, the group must also now avoid an assassin named Sir who has been dispatched by the mafia, because Eddie Grillo was merely working for the real mob boss in Las Vegas, Tony Vago, who they have just attempted to sell the drugs to. In effect they were selling Vago's own drugs back to him.

They visit Wayne, a former jail mate of Lambecke, to try to make another connection to sell the drugs in New Mexico. This leads them to the empty home of Lembecke's brother in Truth or Consequences, NM to make the deal, where all forces convene against them.

Cast

Production
Filming did not take place in the actual city of Truth or Consequences, New Mexico; Heber, Hurricane, Park City, Rockville, Salt Lake City, and Washington, all in Utah; and Las Vegas and Mesquite, both in Nevada, were all used as locations.

According to critic Paul Fischer, the film had ratings problems due to certain gruesomely violent portions involving Martin Sheen.

Release
The producers used the following tagline when marketing the film:
When you're running on fear, don't stop for gas.

On May 2, 1997, the film opened in a very limited release, appearing in seven theaters at its widest. Box office sales for its opening week totaled $19,528. Total sales for the film's theatrical run were $109,261. The film was later released direct-to-video. 

On April 9, 2013, Truth or Consequences, N.M. was released to Blu-ray by Mill Creek Entertainment as part of a double feature set with The Replacement Killers. It was released as part of a Blu-ray bundle on February 16, 2015, alongside Color of Night, Playing God, and The Replacement Killers.

Critical reception
Dale Winogura of Boxoffice liked the film, especially the first half, and was appreciative of the acting. He wrote, "Kiefer Sutherland overcomes some of the faults with a sleek stylistic sheen and rapid pacing in the early stages... [and] Gallo turns a typical loser part into a sympathetic antihero, and Dickens supports him with an equally strong and rounded portrayal."

Leslie Rigoulot of Film Scouts called the motion picture "a good ride, not a great one," and critic Ben Hoffman did not like the film because "the actors have to do and say some pretty ridiculous things." 

David Nusair of Reel Films Reviews wrote, "Although the movie boasts a handful of compelling interludes in its first half (e.g. Sutherland's Curtis explains the difference between good guys and bad guys to Gordon), Truth or Consequences, N.M. doesn't really achieve anything resembling momentum until somewhere around the halfway mark - after which point the film morphs into a relatively entertaining caper that's been infused with a number of unexpectedly compelling sequences."

Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reports that 38% of critics gave the film a positive review, based on 16 reviews.

References

External links
 
 

1997 films
1997 crime thriller films
1997 directorial debut films
1997 independent films
1990s psychological thriller films
American crime thriller films
Films directed by Kiefer Sutherland
Films set in New Mexico
American neo-noir films
TriStar Pictures films
Triumph Films films
Films with screenplays by Brad Mirman
Films shot in Utah
Films shot in the Las Vegas Valley
Films shot in Nevada
Films shot in Salt Lake City
1990s English-language films
1990s American films
English-language crime thriller films