99 Homes

It’s common knowledge that the economic slowdown in 2008 had a crippling effect on the real-estate market, but 99 Homes vividly captures that desperation for realtors and homeowners alike in a way that’s both harrowing and heartbreaking.

However, the latest indictment of contemporary socioeconomic class division from director Ramin Bahrani (Goodbye Solo) finds just enough hope amid its cutthroat maze of greed and corruption to allow for audience sympathy, especially for those who can relate to missing a house payment or feeling the financial pinch.

The story takes place in 2010 in Orlando, Fla., where Nash (Andrew Garfield) is a laborer facing a shortage of construction jobs. So he’s evicted by Carver (Michael Shannon), an unscrupulous and opportunistic real-estate broker who has gotten rich by flipping houses and pouncing on those in the foreclosure process.

After moving to a motel with his mother (Laura Dern) and young son, Nash is approached by Carver about working for him, first as a handyman and then later as a more trusted confidant. Despite his hatred for his ruthless new boss, Nash sees the opportunity to earn some quick cash as a last-ditch chance to save his home, only later discovering the truth behind Carver’s schemes.

The film works as both a character study about two men trying to manipulate the system for personal gain, and as a thriller in which the line between heroes and villains isn’t all that clear-cut. Sure, Carver has lost his moral compass when it comes to shady dealings with struggling working-class folks, yet he’s believable when relaying a speech about being forced into such bottom feeding when circumstances threatened his own livelihood.

Both lead performances are convincing as the two men evolve from adversaries to reluctant partners to realizing that their domain is an every-man-for-himself battle for survival. The eviction sequences are both unsettling and captivating.

There are some contrivances along the way that offer varying degrees of distraction (and the idealistic central premise definitely requires a buy-in). Still, 99 Homes stays on track as a sharp and topical critique of everything from the mortgage industry to the court system, and the struggle for middle-class folks to get a fair shake as their American dream turns into a nightmare.

Rated R, 112 minutes.