When was the last time you saw a movie that positively portrays good guys with concealed carry licenses…people who carry guns legally in civilian society? A new movie, The Reliant, comes out Thursday, October 24th. Unlike the usual Hollywood garbage, this film features Americans who embrace their Second Amendment rights and how it saves their lives.
In short, the plot line follows a family in Ohio with strong Christian beliefs. Economic problems have grown to the point where Antifa-type anarchists bring looting and violence across the nation, even to smaller towns such as Zanesville, OH where the featured family lives.
Dad has raised his family to be prepared for emergencies. Yes, it’s the dreaded trait of personal responsibility that Hollywood loves to mock. Of course, this being a movie, the father has fatal flaws in his planning. His plan didn’t survive first contact.
The family’s real firepower is locked away in a gun safe opened by a brass key. A key that the 19-year-old lovesick pacifist, doesn’t-believe-in-guns daughter hid in her jewelry case. She was mad after dad gave her brother a nice Thompson-Contender hunting rifle for his birthday.
Things go downhill from there for the family (and the daughter’s fiance) as they are pursued by some of the rioting lunatics from dad’s trip into town to buy ammo for the new rifle.
To make a long story short, the family flees their attackers by running into the woods behind their house, escaping the anarchy both in town and that has followed dad home.
From there, they dodge the still-pursuing bad guys through the woods while leaning on their Christian faith, along with their American gun ownership in their struggle to survive.
Yes, the plot is a little shaky. The product placements are about as subtle as a 2×4 to to face. What’s more, the screenwriting and acting won’t win any Oscars, Emmys, Tonys or whatever Hollywood inhabitants award themselves at every opportunity. Then again, I just watched John Wick 3 and it checked every one those boxes with an even bigger, fatter, permanent marker, too.
People go to John Wick 3 to see a glorious celebration of violence, not great acting, dialogue, or plot lines.
The same for this movie. The Reliant’s Christian and American values permeate the movie. It certainly has some good scenes. I liken it to the move Unplanned in terms of messaging over style and special effects.