Watch The Locusts

The Locusts is a 1997 drama film directed by John Patrick Kelley and starring Kate Capshaw, Jeremy Davies, and Vince Vaughn. Set in the 1960s, the movie tells the story of a young drifter named Clay (Davies) who arrives at a farm in rural Kansas where he is taken in by the farmer's wife, Delilah Ashford (Capshaw). Delilah is a lonely and unhappy woman, whose husband is away on a business trip, leaving her alone on the farm with her troubled teenage son, Flyboy (Ash Adams). She is initially suspicious of Clay, but soon finds herself drawn to him, to the point where she starts neglecting her own son.

Clay is a charismatic but mysterious young man who quickly makes himself useful around the farm, helping Delilah with various chores and catching the attention of the local girls. However, there's something about him that makes the townspeople uneasy, and it's not long before his past catches up to him.

Meanwhile, Flyboy is struggling to come to terms with his own sexuality and his feelings towards his mother's new friend. He finds solace in the arms of a young woman named Kitty (Judy Parfitt), who is also struggling with her own demons.

As tensions rise and secrets are revealed, the fragile world that Delilah and Clay have built for themselves begins to crumble under the weight of their own desires and the judgment of the outside world.

The Locusts is a slow-paced, character-driven drama that explores themes of loneliness, desire, and the burden of the past. The central performances by Capshaw and Davies are both excellent, with Capshaw bringing a nuanced vulnerability to her complex portrayal of Delilah, and Davies delivering a captivatingly enigmatic turn as Clay.

The movie also benefits from its evocative cinematography, with the wide open spaces of the Nebraska countryside serving as a starkly beautiful backdrop to the characters' struggles. The film's score, composed by the legendary Carter Burwell, is also noteworthy, with its haunting melodies perfectly capturing the mood of the story.

Overall, The Locusts is a well-crafted and thought-provoking drama that explores the depths of human desire and the consequences of pursuing it at any cost. It may not be for everyone, but those who appreciate finely crafted character-driven cinema will find much to admire here.

The Locusts is a 1997 drama with a runtime of 2 hours and 5 minutes. It has received moderate reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 6.1.