Mohawk (2018) - Ted Geoghegan

Set in 1812 following a young Mohawk woman who are pursued by American soldiers intent on revenge, Ted Geoghegan's Mohawk is part exploitation film, part revenge story, a lean-and-mean film which pays homage to the mass murder of the Native American people through a low-budget, ultra-violent, sensationalist lens.  Exploitative in nature, Mohawk effectively plays out as a revenge fantasy for the Native American people, one in which Indian mysticism and grindhouse sensibilities combine to deliver a flawed but tightly constructed  story.  Mohawk is a film that really struggles from and writing standpoint, as there are far too many pieces of dialogue that feel forced, inorganic, or didactic, often slowing down the film's pacing by proxy.  The film's score on the otherhand is one of the high points, from a technical/creative perspective, and the filmmakers seem to know it, as they use it to built a palpable tension throughout.  The finale of Mohawk is pure revisionist fantasy in the best possible way,  where defiance and vengeance are carried out by the oppressed, with the hunters soon becoming the hunted courtesy of our main protagonist.  While the finale of  Mohawk is certainly the best part,  the journey to get there was not nearly as enjoyable by comparison, due in large part to some cringe-worthy dialogue, making Mohawk an interesting but flawed film which should appease genre fans all the same.