Pixie Parent Guide

Sligo, a sleepy coastal town in western Ireland, is about to have a rude wake-up call. Following a series of gang-related murders and robberies, an old turf war between Dermot O’Brien (Colm Meaney) and Father Hector McGrath (Alec Baldwin) threatens to re-erupt. Father McGrath is the leader of a gang of murderous priests (yes, you read that correctly) who are responsible for gun and drug smuggling on a huge scale, and it’s his men and his drugs that have been taken. O’Brien is much more involved than he thinks: his stepdaughter, Pixie (Olivia Cooke) has managed to work herself right into the middle of the situation. With her unwitting (and fairly witless) friends Frank (Ben Hardy) and Harland (Daryl McCormack), Pixie soon finds herself cruising around the countryside in a bright yellow car containing approximately 15 kilos (33 pounds) of MDMA a.k.a. ecstasy and one very dead body. With Pixie’s penchant for trouble, the only question is how she’s going to turn this into an opportunity… for her. Everyone else may not be so lucky.

The most disconcerting part of this film is watching Colm Meaney play a man named O’Brien – I just can’t stop thinking of Star Trek. Now, while you may not share this problem, I can assure you that it’s hugely distracting to keep thinking that this movie is just a weird holodeck program for the beloved Transporter Chief O’Brien in which he pretends to be an Irish gangster. (I wouldn’t be surprised if Deep Space 9 considered the idea at some point.)

This is only one of the problems with a film that somehow conspires to be less than the sum of its parts. Watching the trailer and reading the synopsis led me to believe that I would thoroughly enjoy it. And, while Pixie certainly has its moments (particularly the scene featuring Irish comedian Dylan Moran), it never really seems to get out of its own way and get off the ground. It keeps hinting at a better movie lying just under the surface, and one which could have been made without huge amounts of additional work. For audiences who keep waiting for that to happen, the frustration increases with the runtime.

Of course, just because I expected to like this movie does not make it suitable family fare. Rather a lot of gang violence and a perversely impressive amount of profanity are likely going to discourage parents, and I doubt the drug smuggling (and occasional use) or the sexual jokes are going to persuade them otherwise. But the kids aren’t missing nearly as much as I would have hoped. For committed genre fans, Pixie might be passable entertainment, but I don’t think there’s a broad audience here. Unless, of course, you’re just a fan of Irish accents and have a high tolerance for negative content, in which case I’m sure you’ll have a lovely time.