‘A mastermind is a terrible thing to waste’
Silk Road is a 2021 American true-crime thriller about a young man that created a darknet website that sells narcotics. Meanwhile, a DEA agent goes undercover to bring him down the criminal tech entrepreneur.
Written and directed by Tiller Russell (The Last Rites of Ransom Pride). The movie stars Jason Clarke, Nick Robinson, Katie Aselton, Jimmi Simpson, Daniel David Stewart, Darrell Britt-Gibson, Lexi Rabe, Will Ropp, Paul Walter Hauser and Alexandra Shipp.
Plot:
Details the true-crime capture of Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht by the FBI and DEA agent Rick Bowden, nicknamed the “Jurassic Narc.”
Reviews:
“Silk Road was made with good intentions. It tells a story that needs to be told. I am however left with a lot more questions than answers after my viewing. Should you watch? I’ll give my best liberation answer in honor of Ross Ulbricht and say: It is totally up to you.” Bulletproof Action
“Silk Road is a compulsively watchable tale of crime and moral corruption that could have been legendary in more capable hands, but what’s here is still a doozy of a nailbiter […] when everything converges the stakes and suspense are raised to where most of the flaws are easily overlooked.” Flickering Myth
“The movie was really good and moved along quickly. One weird choice made by the director was for some scenes to end in sort of a freeze-frame, which made me wonder if my screen had frozen by accident. But aside from that, it was very well done. I highly recommend you check out this true story for yourself.” Geek Tyrant
“Russell clearly wants to deliver a film that’s part Goodfellas, part The Social Network, but it lacks the edgy energy of the former and the Sorkinese patter of the latter. The real-life Ulbrecht is clearly a highly intelligent individual, but Russell’s bland script makes him seem like a dumb jock who just stumbled across the internet.” The Movie Waffler
Release:
Silk Road was scheduled to have its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival on April 16, 2020, however, for obvious reasons that didn’t happen. In December, Lionsgate acquired U.S. distribution rights to the film and has set it for a February 19, 2021, release.
Cast and characters:
Nick Robinson … Ross Ulbricht
Jennifer Yun … Kim Yum
Jimmi Simpson … Chris Tarbell
Jason Clarke … Rick Bowden
Paul Blott … Liquor Store Clerk
Darrell Britt-Gibson … Rayford
Daniel David Stewart … Max
Kenneth Miller … H.T. Palmer
Alexandra Shipp … Julia
Katie Aselton … Sandy Bowden
Lexi Rabe … Edie Bowden
David DeLao … Johnny Morales
Beth Bailey … Lynn Ulbricht
Mark Sivertsen … Kirk
Will Ropp … Shields
Filming:
Principal photography began in June 2019 in Albuquerque, New Mexico
Technical details:
112 minutes
Trailer:
YouTube reviews:
