Deadly game (A Single Shot) is a 2013 American crime thriller film directed by David M. Rosenthal from a screenplay by Matthew F. Jones. The film was released in the United States on September 20, 2013.
It is a dark, somber, and slowly unfolding story in which nature, guilt, and human loneliness intertwine in an inexorable descent into moral and physical destruction.
The film stands somewhere between a psychological thriller and a dark drama in the vein of "„No room for old dogs“" (No Country for Old Men), combining harsh realism, deep internal conflict, and tension that never lets up for a moment.
After losing his farm and his wife Moira, John Moon (Sam Rockwell) lives alone in the remote American countryside. One day, while poaching in the woods, he accidentally shoots a young woman.
Panicking, John tries to hide the body, but discovers a bag full of money nearby. Rather than report the incident, he decides to keep the money - a decision that will unleash a chain of events marked by guilt, persecution, and brutality.
Soon, sinister strangers begin to appear in his life, apparently searching for the lost bag. John realizes he can trust no one - not his friends, not his ex-wife, not even himself.
His every move, every action, every lie drives him deeper into the spiral of paranoia and disintegration. "„Deadly game“" is not a story about a bullet — but about its consequences.
David M. Rosenthal builds a dense, heavy atmosphere, where the fog, rain, and dirty earth become almost separate characters. The camera often stays close to Rockwell's face, tracking every twitch, every thought that gnaws at him from within. The film is slow but tense—the tension comes not from the action, but from the expectation that something irreparable is about to happen.
Atli Orvarsson's music is minimalist, filled with violin moans and low tones that echo the weight of guilt.
Sam Rockwell as John Moon carries the entire film on his shoulders. His performance is exceptional—a combination of restraint and inner chaos. He is not a classic hero, but a man entangled in his own mistakes, fighting for redemption but not even knowing if he deserves it.
„Deadly game“" is a dark, quiet and deeply human thriller that stands out for its realism and psychological depth. The film offers no catharsis, no answers — only the weight of a decision and its slow destructive echo.
Sam Rockwell gives one of his best dramatic performances, and Rosenthal's visual style transforms the American countryside into a relentless maze of guilt and fear.
