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Close Range

Close Range is a action thriller film directed by and starring , , and Caitlin Keats. The film follows Colton MacReady (Adkins), a former who, after rescuing his kidnapped niece from a , retreats to his ranch in only to face an assault by the cartel's forces and a corrupt local (Chinlund). It explores themes of family protection and vengeance in a high-stakes confrontation. Written by Shane Allen and Chad Law, the movie was released direct-to-video on December 11, 2015, in the United States by Digital. It received mixed reviews for its action sequences but was noted for Adkins' performance.

Story and characters

Plot

Close Range: Wyoming Stories is a collection of eleven short stories set in the rural landscapes of , portraying the tough lives of ranchers, , performers, and other residents facing , economic pressures, and personal conflicts. The stories vary in length and tone but collectively subvert traditional tropes to reveal the harsh realities of modern frontier life. The tales, in order of publication, are:
  • "The Half-Skinned Steer": An elderly man named Mero returns to his family's ranch in after decades away, prompted by his brother Rollo's , where he grapples with haunting memories and .
  • "The Mud Below": Felts, a small-statured bull rider, navigates a life of reckless competition, identity struggles, and the physical toll of his profession in the cutthroat world of circuits.
  • "Job History": Leeland , raised on a struggling , cycles through a series of dead-end while trying to support his amid 's economic downturns and personal misfortunes.
  • "The Blood Bay": A man reflects on his life's failures through the story of a prized , highlighting themes of and the unforgiving nature of ranching.
  • "People in Hell Just Want a Drink of Water": Young Ras, obsessed with tales of adventure, leaves home for excitement but returns changed after a devastating , leading to a tragic confrontation with reality.
  • "The Bunchgrass Edge of the World": Ottaline, a large and isolated woman, forms an unlikely bond with her talking while dealing with a failed and the demands of farm life.
  • "Pair a Spurs": Divorced rancher Car acquires a pair of spurs that bring both fascination and painful consequences following a riding .
  • "A Lonely Coast": Josanna Skiles, a middle-aged Japanese-American and cook, lives a solitary life marked by past violence and becomes entangled in another man's demise.
  • "The Governors of Wyoming": Activist Wade Walls, driven by his father's illness, recruits rancher Shy Hamp to operations, but their scheme unravels with dire personal repercussions.
  • "55 Miles to the Gas Pump": A rancher's discovers a gruesome secret in their , revealing the dark undercurrents of their isolated existence in a brief, shocking tale.
  • "Brokeback Mountain": and , two young shepherds, develop a secret romantic relationship during a summer job, which persists covertly over decades amid societal pressures and personal hardships.

Cast

The collection features a diverse array of protagonists and supporting characters drawn from 's working-class communities. Key characters include:

Production

Development

The screenplay for Close Range was written by Chad Law and Shane Dax Taylor, drawing on conventions while incorporating a neo-Western setting to heighten the isolation and tension of the protagonist's defense against intruders. The film was originally titled Dust Up before being renamed Close Range. Isaac Florentine was attached as director, marking his seventh collaboration with lead actor , following their work on (2003), Undisputed II: Last Man Standing (2006), The Shepherd: Border Patrol (2008), (2009), Undisputed III: Redemption (2010), and (2013). Adkins was drawn to the project early due to the role of Colton MacReady, an anti-hero and rogue ex-soldier motivated by fierce loyalty to protect his family, allowing him to explore a gritty, multifaceted character typically cast as a . Ehud Bleiberg produced the film through Bleiberg Entertainment and Compound B, with Adkins and Donnermeyer serving as executive producers; the project was financed on a modest $3 million budget targeted at the video-on-demand (VOD) market. The initial attachment of Adkins and was announced in late January 2014 by Impact Online, signaling the start of . Adkins contributed to script revisions alongside the writers and director, eliminating illogical plot elements and deepening the emotional bonds between his character and the family members portrayed by Caitlin Keats and Madison Lawlor to enhance thematic resonance. These changes also prioritized practical stunts over , leveraging Adkins' background and limited locations like the ranch to maintain cost efficiency during the constrained three-week shoot. Casting announcements continued into early 2014, emphasizing Adkins' expertise in sequences, with supporting roles filled by actors including as the corrupt sheriff.

Filming

Principal photography for Close Range commenced in late 2014 and spanned approximately three weeks, reflecting the film's low-budget constraints and the evolving demands of the action genre. The production primarily utilized a single location in , , selected to evoke the authentic setting central to the , allowing for efficient setup of and confrontation scenes. This focused approach enabled the crew to pre-rig the site for destructive elements, streamlining the shoot despite the compressed timeline. The film emphasized practical effects to enhance its gritty action sequences, with lead actor executing the majority of his s personally, drawing on his expertise. Minimal was employed for gunfights and explosions, prioritizing real-time such as a full-scale house detonation to heighten . Fight , coordinated by stunt coordinator Jeremy Marinas, was meticulously planned over five days prior to principal , incorporating Adkins' preparation to align with director Isaac Florentine's signature high-intensity, fluid action style. On-set challenges centered on the limited and tight , which tested the team's resourcefulness but were offset by the contained . Tal Lazar captured the sequences using tight, dynamic shots to amplify tension and immersion, contributing to the film's visceral energy without relying on extensive enhancements. concluded in early , with the efficient planning resulting in few, if any, reshoots.

Release

Distribution

Close Range was released on (VOD) platforms on December 4, 2015, followed by a on December 11, 2015, handled by distributor XLrator Media. This strategy emphasized digital accessibility over traditional rollout, with screenings confined to select markets and no wide theatrical distribution, consistent with the low-budget film's aim at streaming viewers. Internationally, the saw staggered releases beginning with a premiere in on September 16, 2015, followed by DVD availability in on November 30, 2015, and further rollouts across and in 2016 through various partners. Overall performance was negligible, registering no domestic earnings and approximately $248,978 from markets, reflecting the VOD-centric approach that limited theater revenue. In the , Close Range carried no official MPAA rating, though its content features intense violence and language typically aligned with an R designation.

Marketing and home media

The campaign for Close Range was handled by distributor XLrator , which prioritized video-on-demand (VOD) availability over a wide theatrical rollout. A debuted in February 2015, followed by the official trailer in November 2015, both highlighting star ' intense sequences and the film's high-stakes action in a remote setting. Promotional posters featured Adkins in dynamic poses amid desert landscapes, underscoring the thriller's themes of and confrontation, while online advertisements on platforms like targeted fans of action cinema. Digital distribution began with VOD and availability on December 4, 2015, allowing early access ahead of the limited theatrical release a week later. The film later became available for streaming on services including and in select regions. In the United States, Close Range received a home media release on DVD and Blu-ray on January 5, 2016, through XLrator Media, with the disc including only a theatrical trailer as an extra. International marketing efforts included localized adaptations, such as a Spanish-dubbed version available on platforms like for Latin American audiences. Tie-in merchandise was minimal, limited primarily to fan-inspired items like replica jackets rather than official products, and no dedicated was commercially released despite the film's original score and featured tracks.

Reception

Critical response

Close Range: Wyoming Stories received widespread critical acclaim for its vivid portrayal of Wyoming life, Annie Proulx's evocative prose, and subversion of Western tropes. The collection was named one of the best books of 1999 by The New York Times Book Review and the top fiction choice of Entertainment Weekly. Several stories had been previously published in magazines like The New Yorker, The Atlantic Monthly, Harper's, and GQ, with "Pair a Spurs" winning the 1997 National Magazine Award for Fiction. "Brokeback Mountain" earned the 1998 O. Henry Prize and a National Magazine Award. Selections appeared in anthologies including The Best American Short Stories of the Century and The O. Henry Prize Stories 1998. In 2000, the book received the English-Speaking Union's Ambassador Book Award and The New Yorker's best fiction award. The New York Times review by Christopher Lehmann-Haupt praised the stories' "absolute authenticity" and "wry poetry of loneliness and pain," noting Proulx's ability to wring romance from the harsh , though highlighting the characters' bleak fates driven more by lust than . Richard Eder in another Times piece lauded Proulx's "violent and impacted" prose and deep sense of place, which shapes authentic characters, particularly in standouts like "" and "The Mud Below," but critiqued some stories for over-compression leading to melodramatic endings. Kirkus Reviews called it a "vigorous second collection," commending Proulx's "whipsaw wit and raw, lusty language" in gritty tales of , loss, and endurance, declaring it her best work yet with a unique voice. Critics consensus highlighted Proulx's masterful depiction of rural isolation, economic hardship, and the fading ranching culture, with her precise language capturing Wyoming's unforgiving beauty and "fierce love" amid violence and unconventional relationships.

Audience response

The collection has enjoyed enduring popularity among readers, evidenced by a 4.0 out of 5 rating on Goodreads from over 18,000 ratings as of 2025. Many praise Proulx's immersive storytelling, character depth, and atmospheric descriptions of Wyoming's landscapes, with "Brokeback Mountain" frequently cited as a favorite for its emotional impact and exploration of forbidden love. Readers often note the stories' raw honesty and poignant themes of hardship and resilience, though some find the pervasive bleakness and violence challenging. The book's acclaim was amplified by the 2005 film adaptation of "," which drew renewed attention to the collection. It remains a staple in courses and anthologies, sustaining interest among literary enthusiasts. No major book-specific awards were won by the collection as a whole beyond the story-level honors, but it solidified Proulx's reputation following her 1994 Pulitzer for .

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