I make no bones about it, I love Guy Pearce and have always considered him to be underrated and underappreciated. He’s a talented actor who has tackled a broad and impressive range of roles throughout his 30 year career. Sure, a handful of his movies have wildly missed their mark, but none quite as badly as his latest “Disturbing the Peace”. How he got wrangled into this sure-fire early candidate for the worst movie of 2020 is beyond me.
This small indie action flick from director York Alex Shackleton feels yanked from a different era and I don’t say that as a compliment. Everything about “Disturbing the Peace” feels outdated: the story, the dialogue, the characters. Even worse its budget restrictions are evident in practically every shot. From cringe-inducing supporting performances to production values on par with a bad high school play.
Pearce deserves credit for at least giving it his all even though he isn’t asked to do much. He plays Marshal Jim Dillon (I’m not making this up), a former Texas Ranger still haunted by an accidental shooting that left his partner paralyzed from the neck down. That was ten years ago and Marshal Dillon now serves and protects the small Kentucky town of Horse Cave with his one deputy (Michael Sirow).
One day two roughneck bikers ride into town looking mean and stirring up trouble with Catie (Kelly Greyson), the owner of the local diner and the Marshal’s uninspired love interest. Soon the rest of the gang arrives led by the hilariously named Diablo (Devon Sawa) who waxes not-so-elegantly about Pavlov’s Dog and killing townsfolk basically in the same breath. And with henchmen names like Pyro, Spider and Big Dog you know these guys mean business. They hold the entire town hostage which is surprisingly easy considering the majority of the population shrinks to about ten people in the span of one scene.
“Disturbing the Peace” is essentially a rural heist thriller minus the thrills and without a single character we can empathize with. The filmmakers make an attempt by throwing together several town locals hoping we’ll find some of them interesting. But you’ll remember them more for their excruciating line deliveries rather than anything of value they bring to the story. And you know what to expect when your second biggest cast member is Barbie Blank, aka ex-WWE wrestler Kelly Kelly (or was it Kelly Kelly Kelly). No offense to Ms. Blank, but….never mind.
None of the things that make “Disturbing the Peace” watchable are intentional. The cheap production, the cliche-riddled script, the laughably bad dialogue. Even Guy Pearce can’t make us buy some of his lines and his MacGyver-styled action is an even harder sell. He seems utterly bored throughout the entire proceedings which is completely understandable. Nothing about the movie is even remotely original and it wasn’t for the accidental hilarity it would be a tough 90 minutes to endure.
VERDICT – 1 STAR
keithandthemovies.com 
Wow this does sound horrid. I agree with your take on Pearce, solid actor. One wonders how or why he did this. A favor?? Bribery lol Guess I’ll be skipping this waste of a brain cell.
Maybe a payday. That’s all I can figure out. I just wish he would get more meatier roles offered to him. I know he is set to appear in Vin Diesel’s “Bloodshot” next.
I don’t have Apple TV so probably won’t be watching this one but it’s too bad about Guy Pearce as I like him a lot too! I’m waiting for a good comeback for him and Russell Crowe (though Russell just won a Golden Globe for a TV movie). I want to see both of them in a really good film again!
I’m not sure if it’s on Apple TV but don’t bother with it regardless. 😂 You are so right about him and Crowe. Crowe especially. Talk about a huge big screen presence that has all but vanished!
Ouch, poor Guy.
Did you see him in the BBC adaptation of Christmas Carol at Christmas? Brilliant performance from him as Scrooge. It’s a dark version of the Dickens classic, really well done and he’s just fab.
I haven’t seen but I LOVED the trailer. I really need to see that!
Well worth a watch.
Wait? Kelly Kelly?
I heard about how bad this film is but man… you know you’re reaching towards the bottom of the barrel if you have Kelly Kelly in your film. At least it’s not Allbotcheverything.
I don’t know, this is a pretty humongous botch! LOL! But yes indeed, Kelly Kelly is in it and I’m sad to report she probably won’t be taking home an Oscar.
At least there’s the Razzies.
If enough Razzie voters manage to see it…😂
That sounds very similar to a miserable film I saw recently starring Sam Rockwell. Some movies just can’t be saved. Thanks for taking this one on.
You are so right. This one was dead in the water and sunk pretty quick.
I’m about sick of these pictures of that sheriff popping up on the internet. When is this show ever gonna end?That Rick Grimes feller left the picture a year ago and now they making another picture with him in it.
That’s a lot of pictures
Bummer. Guy Pearce is one of my favourites too. When I read the first sentence I was hopeful! But then….damn. I wanna see him in something as great as the Rover again, that’s the last film I remember him being in that was really good
Oooooh man, I love The Rover. Had a high spot in my Top 10 that year. He killed it in that film.
Yeah you mentioned that to me a while back. That was the first movie where I saw that Robert Pattinson is more than some pretty boy from those vampire whatever movies. He was amazing. And jeez, look at him now! Good Time was a personal favourite of his, his eyes sometimes bug out and he looks like charlie manson!
Yep, and soon we will have his version of Batman.
Really? Wow, good for him, but I honestly wish those movies would just go away now, its been almost two two decades since that trend appeared and I truly wish it’d just bugger off! I guess I kinda get the appeal, but I 100% agree with Marty Scorsese’s comment about them, and I love that he didn’t make some public apology about it. That guy is my favourite person in film, like, as a human being yknow
1 star? That’s rare!
I know. Hated to do it, but this movie is REALLY bad.
I don’t know if you watched the short series (netflix) “The Innocents” (2018) where he plays the mad scientist in the remote Scandinavian laboratory? When I saw that advertised I was really geeked up for it. I did watch it all, but oh what a disappointment he was in that also. I hope this isn’t becoming a habit (poor movie choices.) He still has a lot of good movies in him. He needs to stop wasting time on trash.
Ouch. Nope I missed that one. Sounds like it’s good that I did! Yikes.
It wasn’t horrible, just not that good.
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Love the scene in the alleyway, when then the red van turns into a blue one, and most of the cars are wrecks with no number plates. It’s a find how many mistakes lol
HAAAA. I missed those. LOL
The armoured car scene transcends ridiculous. Both men broke every protocol you could possibly break. That’s just one of the many laughable aspects to this movie