Justin Timberlake knocks it out of the park as a just-released felon trying to pick up the pieces of his life and get back to livin’. He bonds with the neglected little kid next door, but nothing’s ever just that simple—his past and his present (along with Southern prejudices) try to knock him down at every turn. Tropes galore keep the film from being five-star-worthy, but damn if this isn’t a rock-solid family film with a powerful uplifting message about acceptance, forgiveness, and never backing down.
4/5 stars