Whitewash | Rotten Tomatoes

Whitewash

Released May 2, 2014

1 hr. 30 min.

Comedy

Drama

List

84%

25 Reviews

Tomatometer

36%

250+ Ratings

Audience Score

A drunk (Thomas Haden Church) grapples with guilt after he accidentally kills an acquaintance and buries the body in the snow.

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ronald h

Absurdism in art is often attributed to the French, but if this film is any indication, the French Canadians are adept at it, too. In the opening scene of "Whitewash," Bruce, a snowplow driver (Thomas Haden Church), is wending his way through a brutal snowstorm in his vehicle. He's on a dark road with no lights. A man steps in front of the plow and is killed. Bruce wastes no time moving him to another deserted road and using his plow to bury him in the snow. He then turns into the deep woods and crashes through the wilderness until he hits a tree and gets stuck. So he decides to live in the vehicle, which at least has a heater (even though he's low on gas). All the time, he's swigging booze from a flask. He's clearly upset. Why does he not call the cops? Why live in the snowplow? We're told in flashbacks. Little by little, we learn who the dead man is and the circumstances that led to his death. This strange, mysterious movie has moments of black humor and is definitely out of the mainstream. It's Church's performance that keeps it interesting. He's a bit of a Canadian Raskolnikov, wrestling with guilt. I'm grateful for films like this that don't try to be Hollywood blockbusters and aren't afraid to be weird. Highly recommended for fans of black humor and the absurd. Or should I say "l'absurde"?

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

Audience Member

"No good deed…" you know the rest. Thomas Haden Church has a special place in my heart from Sideways, which is the only reason I added this film to my watch list. With a huge RT discrepancy (84/34), I wasn't sure where I'd land — mind you, the critics only have 25 reviews while the audience has over 250. Nevertheless, Whitewash exceeded my expectations. From start to finish, I wanted to know more about Bruce (THC) and arrive at his fate. It has that Cast Away concept of a man hopelessly out of his element. However, the voiceover was distracting and, like usual, hurt the film. I get it, we all want to hear THC's voice, but then don't cast him in a movie where he's in the frigid Quebec wilderness for 75% of the run-time. Although it would've been predictable, I would've liked to see how Church performed a man's descent into madness, but we don't really get that. He saves a man from killing himself, only to accidentally kill that man — he's a sympathetic character who deserves a better ending. I can recommend Whitewash to THC fans or those who enjoy watching a human struggle for survival, you don't have to raise your hands.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/01/23

Full Review

Audience Member

I liked this move. The main topic is punishment, "no good deed goes unpunished". It is also about the mental consequences of being alone and isolated.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/12/23

Full Review

h a

Not good. Hard to watch. THC plays a real doofus and it's frustrating.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Good little crime movie.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/15/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Really boring. Not bad acting just boring and slowww

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

01/16/23

Full Review

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Emanuel Hoss-Desmarais

Director

Thomas Haden Church

Bruce

Marc Labrèche

Paul

Anie Pascale

Waitress

Vincent Hoss-Desmarais

Eric

Emanuel Hoss-Desmarais

Doug

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Tomas Hachard

NPR

Largely because of a pitch-perfect final line and a Haden Church performance that brings a dose of needed compassion, Whitewash manages to keep its footing.

May 1, 2014

Full Review

Jenni Miller

AV Club

The viewer is left in a snowblind limbo that makes it awfully difficult to stay engaged.

Rated: C+

May 1, 2014

Full Review

David Fear

Time Out

An airtight demonstration of the maxim that no good deed ever goes unpunished.

Apr 2, 2014

Full Review

Richard Crouse

Richard Crouse

An elegantly told story of redemption and survival.

Rated: 3/5

Feb 1, 2021

Full Review

Monica Reid

Far Out Magazine

It is a grim and minimal but unexpectedly gripping story.

Aug 27, 2018

Full Review

Nathan Bartlebaugh

The Film Stage

It may be small and compact, but Whitewash has a sure, strong voice that deserves to be heard.

Rated: B

Jun 6, 2016

Full Review

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Synopsis

A drunk (Thomas Haden Church) grapples with guilt after he accidentally kills an acquaintance and buries the body in the snow.

Director: Emanuel Hoss-Desmarais
Screenwriter: Emanuel Hoss-Desmarais, Marc Tulin
Distributor: Oscilloscope Pictures
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): May 2, 2014, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 11, 2017

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