Writer-Director Sean McEwan has attempted to turn the story of the Dougherty gang into a 100 minute metaphor for the state of the nation today. With hindsight, it was something of an over-reach for a first time creator. The irony is that, much like the fate of the Doughertys themselves, the fate of such an ambitious film ("close but no cigar") was itself predetermined from the very start. Additional irony in that the film is more likely to be remembered not for its content, nor its message, but rather as the last role of Hollywood icon Treat Williams before his death; and also the attempt by India Eisley to redirect her career as adult actor (as opposed to the steamy teenage roles she is known for). Eisley demonstrates an unusually deep and quite memorable voice, which may or may not help her career down the road. ((Designated "IMDb Top Reviewer." Please check out my list "167+ Nearly-Perfect Movies (with the occasional Anime or TV miniseries) you can/should see again and again (1932 to the present))

This based-on-true-events little indie gem is newb filmmaker Sean McEwen&#39;s 3rd writing and 2nd directorial full length feature film credit, with only some TV series and a few short films as prior experience, but you&#39;d think this film was put together by a seasoned filmmaker with a big Hollywood budget.<br/><br/>I really can&#39;t find anything to critique or say could&#39;ve been done better, especially when I was expecting a ton of rookie filmmaking mistakes and typical B-grade filmmaking annoyances. Maybe the pacing could&#39;ve been a little better and about 5-10 mins cut out, but everything else was so well done, I shouldn&#39;t complain. The cinematography was spot on, if not perfect, and McEwen sure knows how to shoot an action thriller with his effective use of close-ups, ariel shots and camera angles. The score and soundtrack were outstanding - that alone is a huge feat, as the score in B films is always loud, annoying, overbearing and unfitting.<br/><br/>McEwen&#39;s screenplay was exceptional, with a very coherent and cohesive narrative. His use of actual past TV news clips from the real events inserted at the right times elevated his story telling. The entire 99 min runtime was used effectively, and maintained a constant engaging tone and level of suspense. McEwen even nailed directing his cast effectively, as all casting and performances were excellent and convincing, particularly the three siblings that nail down the specific dynamic of this family, especially India Eisley who shined as the troubled Lee-Grace Dougherty sister.<br/><br/>Huge props to the entire cast and crew for creating such a great film. I can honestly say this is in my top 10 must-see low budget independent B-grade films of all time, and I&#39;ve seen a lot of films - click on my username to see my over 3,300 ratings and over 1,700 reviews. McEwen certainly is an up and coming filmmaker to keep an eye out for, and his little gem American Outlaws is a well deserved 8/10 from me.

The budget for this film well under 100k with the biggest expense being wrecking a used 1995 sedan.<br/><br/>Not much to see here, three siblings are trying hard to be criminals and just come off as complete amateurs. The closeup camera work and needless screen tilt is most likely done with an old Iphone for many of the scenes.<br/><br/>Script is bad, dialogue is teen age dirtbag cringey and the entire plot is simple and predictable.<br/><br/>Most likely this is a self financed project by the writer/director and Treat Williams was in debt a favor and cashed in his chip.<br/><br/>Most likely this is a self financed project by the writer/director and Treat Williams was in debt a favor and cashed in his chip.