Mountain Men (2014)

Topher (Labine) and Cooper (Crawford) are estranged brothers.  Toph lives in their small hometown and sells pot.  Coop moved to New York and got an important job.  They rarely see each other and have little in common.  Coop comes home for their mother, Marion's (Willes) wedding, but only plans to stay in town for a day.  At the wedding, a neighbor tells Toph that someone is living in their cabin in the mountains.

The brothers decide to go to the cabin to get rid of the squatter.  The cabin is deep in the mountains and difficult to get to in the winter.  After arriving, they decide to spend the night to avoid making the journey home in the dark.  What begins as a simple trip, turns into a fight to survive.


I discovered this film while perusing on Netflix.  I am a fan of Tyler Labine and decided to give the film a chance (without knowing anything about it).  It is billed as a comedy, but it is more of a drama with some funny moments.

The film focuses on the brothers, with only a few other characters involved.  Tyler Labine is great, as usual.  The role is very similar to other roles he has played in the past, but it is still enjoyable.  Chance Crawford is good as Cooper and has believable chemistry with Labine.

The story was written and directed by Labine's brother Cameron Labine.  The story digs into the relationship and hidden resentment between the brothers.  The story flows well and moves quickly, without really rushing.  It was filmed in the Canadian Rockies (a tag at the beginning of the credits talks about that).  The scenery is beautiful.  There is significant cursing, but otherwise it is a pretty tame film.  There is no blood shed, which is pretty remarkable for a survival film.

It is an entertaining film that lets Labine play to his strengths.

Mountain Men (2014) 89 minutes
Director: Cameron Labine
Starring: Chance Crawford as Cooper
Tyler Labine as Toph
Ben Cotton as Herschberger
Britt Irvin as Leah
Christine Willes as Marion