Directed by James Bamford, High Ground tells the story of a sheriff who decides to fight for justice and stand up to a feared criminal. The film doesn't give us much insight into the character's past, which I think was its biggest flaw. We never identify with the characters because we simply don't know who they are. So, if you want a simple movie where a sheriff goes on a mission and ends up saving the day, you might like this one. For others, I'm not so sure. So, let's find out what happened in the movie High Ground and how Sheriff Jake Wilcott saved the day.
Jake Wilcott had recently become sheriff of a small town in Colorado and knew he had a big responsibility. His father, Ezra, had been sheriff for the past 35 years, and Jake knew he had a big challenge to meet. The townspeople struggled with the change, as they were used to turning to Ezra whenever they had a problem. Through the brief conversation Ezra had with his son, we learned that Jake had served in the military and, because of something that happened there, suffered from PTSD. However, at no point in his life did he wallow in self-pity.
Director: James Bamford
Writers: Bill Sondheim, John Thaddeus
Stars: Charlie Weber, Jon Voight, Katherine McNamara
He knew he was haunted by the ghost of his past and never ignored it. Jake liked to believe that, like everyone else, he had his regrets and should work through them instead of wallowing in pain and feeling miserable about himself. Jake's subordinates, Sharon and Billy, had caught a man accused of speeding. The man had a mysterious aura. He quoted Bible verses and looked like a pastor. As soon as Jake walked into the police station, the man told him he was making a mistake keeping him behind bars. Sharon and Jake ran a background check, contacted the U.S. Marshal, and discovered that the man they had in custody was Nathaniel Matheson, a former member of a dangerous criminal organization.
After running the syndicate for several years alongside his partner, Marcus Novak, Nathaniel had a change of heart and decided to betray Marcus's trust. After the birth of his daughter, Nathaniel decided to testify before the state, wanting to do something his daughter would be proud of. Obviously, Marcus didn't take this decision well and decided to pursue him. Nathaniel knew how dangerous Marcus was, so he tried to make Jake understand that it was best for them to let him go or they would burn the entire town to the ground. But Jake was an honorable man and wasn't about to do anything his conscience wouldn't allow.
Marcus wanted to get an idea of the police force size and what exactly he was up against before declaring war to capture Nathaniel. Marcus, with his conniving and cunning wit, set a trap, and Billy fell right into it. Because it was such a small town, the entire community was like one big family. The whole town knew who Billy was and that she was expecting a baby. Billy was on his way home when the officers discovered someone had left an abandoned pickup truck some distance from town, and the owner was nowhere to be found. Billy went there and checked it out, and that's when he realized someone had set a trap for him. Marcus and his men arrived and shot Billy. Marcus wanted to know how many officers there were in the department so he could take the necessary measures. Billy told them there were 12, probably to scare them off. Marcus killed Billy and then went to Dan's Diner, a local restaurant, where Jake's partner, Cassie, was working as a waitress.
Marcus and his men arrived at the restaurant, and coincidentally, Ezra was also there at the time. It didn't take long for Ezra to realize these men were up to no good. As he left, Ezra saw that the vehicle they were driving had Illinois plates. Ezra knew they hadn't come so far for no reason. Ezra didn't speak to them but went straight to the police station to check on them. That's when Jake returned to the station and told everyone what had happened. Jake, Ezra, and Sharon decided it wouldn't be safe to stay with Nathaniel at the station. They decided Jake and Ezra would take Nathaniel back to their farm. Sharon decided to stay at the station and coordinate with the U.S. Marshal's Office from there. That was probably her biggest mistake. Moments after Jake left, Marcus and his men arrived at the station and killed Sharon in cold blood. Marcus then discovered where Jake was hiding and went there with all his might to find his former partner and bring him to his fateful end.
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