Three years after James Blackledge’s death, his mother Margaret (Diane Lane) witnesses both her young grandson and former daughter-in-law Lorna (Kayli Carter) winding up on the receiving end of a public smackdown from James’ replacement, Donnie Weboy (Will Brittain). A wellness call from Margaret is provocation enough to send Donnie and his brood packing back home to his maniacal mother Blanche (Lesley Manville) and family of doltishly durable brethren. (Weboys wobble but they’re too dumb to fall down.) Certain that the child’s life is in danger, Margaret and her retired lawman husband George (Kevin Costner) pack the family station wagon for a journey to reclaim him. There’s no denying the allure of a neo-western variation on that beloved staple of Hallmark theme: grandparents’ rights. I was on board for the opening half of the ride — there’s tension on the menu when first the Blackledges and the Weboys sit down to break bread. But instead of a battle of wits, psychological horror, or even an incestuous junket along the line of Jacki Weaver and her brood in Animal Kingdom, filmmaker Thomas Bezucha sets his sights on sadism. Manville brings genuine menace, as does Lane’s extended arm and probing grin, but it’s not enough to make one let go of the film’s ugliness and myriad of contrivances. (2020) — Scott Marks