Review: ‘Grand Isle’ is much like the hurricane it’s set against.

Grand Isle follows Walter (Nicolas Cage) and his neglected wife (Strickland) who lure a young man (Benward) into their Victorian home to escape a hurricane. When the man is charged with murder by Detective Jones (Grammar), he must reveal the couple’s wicked secrets to save himself.

Kelsey Grammer plays a southern detective with an old-world charm, attempting to get the truth in a twisted case of breaking and entering turned murder. Buddy is a young, working-class father who gets wrapped up with one of the most volatile couples in town. (Nic Cage and Kadee Strickland) These two have secrets and a love/hate relationship for the ages. The plot seems cliche but it’s anything but. You will not be able to predict what’s coming next. I have to give credit where credit is due to co-writers Iver William Jallah and Rich Ronat. The script is much more emotionally complex than expected. It’s a film about deep down trauma and how we do or do not cope. With some decent fight choreography and a whole hell of a lot of weirdness, Grand Isle is a sick mystery no one will see coming. Cage is scary and bizarre as usual. Kadee Strickland is sexy as hell and damn lunatic. She pretty much owns this entire story. Luke Benward as Buddy, our main protagonist, gives a solid performance. Besides Strickland, Kelsey Grammer is my favorite part of this movie. While he is in fewer scenes than I’d like, his delivery and presence is exactly what Grand Isle needed to succeed.

The southern gothic thriller stars Nicolas Cage, Kelsey Grammer, Luke Benward and KaDee Strickland. Directed by Stephen S. Campanelli, the film was co-written by Iver William Jallah and Rich Ronat. Screen Media will release the film in theaters nationwide and on-demand December 6th.