A hard-working but struggling hired hand has his hopes of taking over his employer’s farm dashed when his boss’s wayward son returns, staking a claim on his inheritance. That’s the gist of “Hands that Bind”, a minimalist slow-burning rural drama written, directed, and produced by Kyle Armstrong. It’s a movie with a quiet and low-key exterior but with a simmering bone-deep dark side that becomes more evident as its story unfolds.

Set in 1981 on the stark remote prairies of Alberta, Canada, “Hands that Bind” follows a dedicated farmhand named Andy Hollace (played with remarkable restraint by Paul Sparks). He works hard tending to things for his boss Mac (Nicholas Campbell). In addition to a paycheck, Mac lets Andy, his wife Susan (Susan Kent), and their two young kids live in an extra guesthouse on his property. It’s far from lavish living, but it enables Andy to provide for his family.

But things take a turn after Mac learns that his son Dirk (Landon Liboiron) is coming home after losing his job in the oil fields. He informs Andy that he can stay on for another month, but then he’ll have to let him go. Even worse, Dirk along with his wife and newborn, will be needing the guesthouse. So Andy and his family are forced to move into a beat up old trailer home until he can find somewhere else to go.

It’s a gut-punch for Andy who had his eyes set on one day taking over Mac’s place. But Dirk’s unceremonious reappearance and apparent claim to his birthright changes everything. It doesn’t help that he’s lazy, hot-tempered, and knows nothing when it comes to farming. Andy immediately takes a disliking to him and understandably so. The tension between them is obvious to us. But Andy keeps his growing animus hidden and at bay, at least until he can’t anymore.

While that’s the main story in a nutshell, Armstrong throws in several unexpected curveballs that steers “Hands that Bind” (and more specifically Andy himself) in some uneasy directions. First there is the handful of wicked dream sequences that grow more and more twisted as the story progresses. Then you have cows turning up dead, mutilated with pinpoint precision. And strange lights in the distance sky – aliens? That all may sound strangely out of place and even far-fetched. But Armstrong has more on his mind and is going for something much different than how it may sound.

Strong compelling leads are essential in character-driven dramas like this and Paul Sparks delivers. He gives a richly organic and understated performance that is perfectly in step with what his character needs. His Andy is tough to read. He’s grounded yet enigmatic – a mysterious blank canvas in many ways. One that slowly comes more into focus as things tighten around him. Kent brings much-needed heart and pathos while Liboiron is adequately detestable. We even get the great Bruce Dern as Mac’s sad crusty neighbor, Hank.

I can see the last 15 minutes being pretty divisive as Armstrong doesn’t offer much in terms of answers. Its ambiguous finish and loose ends will likely be seen as artfully challenging by some and frustratingly unfinished by others. But Armstrong isn’t interested in spelling things out. There’s so much more going on underneath the slow-cooking narrative and beyond the spellbinding cinematography (DP Mike McLaughlin should be on every Oscar shortlist). And it’s those unexpected creative strokes that ultimately give the movie its kick. “Hands that Bind” is out now in select theaters and on VOD.