- R
- 1h 23m
- Directed by
-
- Lawrence Roeck
- Writer
- Carlos De Los Rios
- Premiered
- January 08, 2016
- Language
-
- English
- Status
- Released
- Awards
-
- 2 wins & 3 nominations total
- Country
-
- Canada
- United States of America
Diablo
- Production
-
- Space Rock Studios
- Diablo Movie
Spoiler
In the stark, unforgiving landscape of the American West, a harrowing ordeal unfolds for Jackson, a Civil War veteran whose life is shattered by a brutal act of violence. The year is 2016, and the film Diablo, a gritty action-adventure thriller, plunges viewers into a desperate journey that blurs the lines between reality and delusion. Directed by Lawrence Roeck and featuring a compelling cast including Scott Eastwood, Walton Goggins, Camilla Belle, Danny Glover, and Adam Beach, Diablo is a visceral exploration of trauma, vengeance, and the fragile nature of the human psyche.
The narrative ignites with Jackson awakening to a scene of utter devastation. His home and barn are engulfed in flames, a terrifying testament to the violence that has befallen him. The chilling realization dawns: Mexican bandits have abducted his wife. In a desperate act of self-preservation and defiance, Jackson manages to shoot one of his assailants. Driven by an urgent need to secure something vital, he attempts to unearth an object from the smoldering barn, but the thick smoke overwhelms him, forcing him to retreat. The following morning, the grim reality of his situation is compounded when concerned neighbors rouse him from his stupor. He retrieves the package he had been digging for, a cryptic item that seems to hold immense significance, and declares his unwavering resolve: he is setting out south, a solitary figure driven by a singular purpose – to find the bandits and reclaim his wife.
Jackson’s pursuit is a relentless and perilous trek across desolate terrain. Along the dusty trail, he stumbles upon the dying man he had shot the previous night. The bandit, wracked with pain and perhaps a flicker of something more profound, offers no information about his wife's whereabouts. Instead, with his last breath, he utters a chilling pronouncement, calling Jackson "damned" before succumbing to his wounds. Jackson, unmoved by the dying man's curse but pragmatic in his quest, discovers two silver pieces on the bandit's person, a small but significant gain for his arduous journey. He pockets the coins and presses onward, his determination unyielding.
The vast expanse of the frontier proves to be a treacherous adversary in itself. One morning, as Jackson seeks to replenish his water supply, he is ambushed. Two arrows are loosed at him by a Native American warrior. Jackson, a seasoned survivor, skillfully maneuvers to flank the attacker's position. Upon reaching the vantage point, he discovers not a formidable warrior, but a cowering boy, clearly terrified. Jackson, his immediate threat neutralized, drives the boy away, a moment of unexpected mercy in this brutal world.
His journey continues, marked by further encounters that test his resolve and sanity. Shortly thereafter, Jackson comes across a Chinese man diligently repairing a wagon. The man, seemingly intent on extracting a toll for passage, brandishes a shotgun and demands five silver pieces. Before Jackson can fully react, a new figure emerges from the shadows. A stranger named Ezra materializes behind the Chinese man and, with swift precision, shoots him down. A brief, cryptic exchange follows between Jackson and Ezra, laden with unspoken implications. Driven by an instinct for self-defense and perhaps a growing suspicion, Jackson engages Ezra in a fight. He manages to retrieve his gun, intending to end the confrontation, but Ezra has vanished as inexplicably as he appeared.
The trail, however, is far from over. Further along his relentless pursuit, Jackson finds himself caught in the open, vulnerable to the very bandits he seeks. They attack, and Jackson is struck by gunfire. He struggles onward, his body ravaged by the wound and the creeping infection that begins to set in. His strength wanes, and he eventually collapses, his pursuit seemingly at an end. It is at this nadir of his existence that Ezra reappears. He claims he will remain by Jackson's side, a morbid companion watching him fade away. But when Jackson awakens, Ezra is gone. Instead, he finds himself being dragged by the Native American boy he had encountered earlier, who has brought him to his village.
Within the sanctuary of the Native American village, Jackson receives medical attention. Upon regaining consciousness, he is subjected to a ritualistic test. The elders, seeking to discern his true nature, decide to administer peyote, a powerful hallucinogen, to determine if he is "evil." The experience is disorienting and terrifying. Jackson flees their sweat lodge, consumed by vivid hallucinations. In his altered state, he is confronted by the spectral image of his maimed brother, clad in a Union uniform. The apparition accuses Jackson of shooting him and urges him to take his own life, a tormenting echo of past trauma. As the Native Americans catch up to him, Jackson’s hallucinatory episode subsides, and he comes to his senses. The tribe, having witnessed his reaction, forces him to leave their village. The boy, showing a surprising act of loyalty, gives Jackson his horse. Jackson, in turn, attempts to offer the boy his gun, a gesture of gratitude, but the other tribal members intervene, driving both Jackson and the boy away.
The moment Jackson sets off on his own, the enigmatic Ezra reappears. In a shocking display of violence, Ezra kills the two adult Native Americans who had accompanied Jackson, allowing the boy to escape. This act of brutal intervention further deepens the mystery surrounding Ezra's motives and his connection to Jackson.
Jackson’s journey eventually leads him to the homestead of Mr. Carver, a man with whom he served during the Civil War seven years prior. He requests a saddle and water for his horse, a simple need in his desperate quest. Carver, however, harbors deep suspicions about Jackson. He sends Jackson to a shed and warns his granddaughter, Rebecca, that Jackson is extremely dangerous. Carver arms himself with a shotgun, instructing Rebecca to flee if anything untoward happens. He suggests that Jackson's erratic behavior might be a consequence of the traumatic accident involving his brother and urges him to depart as soon as he has obtained the water.
Upon Jackson's return from the stream, he finds Ezra holding Carver at gunpoint. During the tense standoff, a shocking revelation unfolds: Ezra is, in fact, Jackson himself. He suffers from a severe form of traumatic personality disorder, a fractured psyche that manifests as a separate, violent entity. In a horrifying act, Ezra murders Carver and then disappears, leaving Jackson to grapple with the terrifying reality of his own fractured mind.
Finally, Jackson catches up with the Mexican bandits. He finds his wife, Alexsandra, but her reaction is not one of relief or reunion. Instead, she flees from him. He pursues them to their homestead, a desolate dwelling where he engages in a brutal confrontation, killing several men. Alexsandra takes cover, her fear palpable. Jackson eventually reaches her, finding them alone. In a devastating turn of events, Alexsandra reveals that their "love" was nothing more than Jackson's delusion, a fantasy born from his fractured mind. She declares her intention to stay with her husband, one of the bandits. In a final, desperate act of self-preservation, she kisses Jackson, a deceptive gesture that allows her to draw his gun. With his last bullet, she shoots him. Jackson, wounded and disoriented, stumbles outside, only to encounter Guillermo, Alexsandra's real husband. As the screen fades to black, a gunshot rings out, leaving Jackson's ultimate fate uncertain, a tragic end to a journey consumed by violence and delusion.
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