AllMovie

Three generations of men struggle to deal with the violent impulses that have scarred their lives in this drama from director Brendan Fletcher. TJ (Dean Daley-Jones) is a mountain of a man of Aborigine heritage living in Western Australia. TJ has a weakness for alcohol and a habit of getting into fights; years ago, he abandoned his wife and son, and as time passes his conscience tells him it's time he began facing up to his responsibilities as a father. As it happens, TJ's son Bullet (Lucas Yeeda) is nearly as troubled as he is; at the age of thirteen, he's already in trouble with the law for burning down a house and doing time in a juvenile detention home. Bullet isn't eager to get reacquainted with TJ, but both realize they need to settle their scores with one another, and TJ's father Texas (Greg Tait), who has come to understand his own demons and become a peace officer, steps in to help. Mad Bastards was an official selection at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival.