THE LAST RECKONING is a 2025 award-winning crime-drama shot in Vancouver produced, written and edited by Grant Gladish, produced and directed by Garnet Campbell, and starring Drummond Macdougall, Grant Gladish, Julien Minet and Anja Marcetic.

Set in Seattle when Washington State still had a death penalty, a morally conflicted lawyer (Gladish) on the brink of promotion conceals the murder-confession of his panic- stricken brother (Minet), only to face a haunting reckoning twelve years later when the father (Macdougall) of the innocent woman wrongfully executed for the crime returns with a calculated plan for justice.

Drama, crime, mystery ⏤ even romance with the entaglement of a femme fatale (Marcetic) ⏤ marks this slow-burning film. Life-and-death-stakes, set within a believable narrative with its whiffs of Romeo & Juliet, make this Canadian picture stand out from so many other stories.

The vision and themes of THE LAST RECKONING will haunt viewers long after its screening. THE LAST RECKONING delves into the topic of murder, cover up, justice, judgement and the wreckage remaining after selfish choices. When we see how innocent lives can be chewed up and spit out by an imperfect justice system, it begets the question of the morality of a death penalty anywhere in this world. The strongest lesson, however, is that viewers shall be reminded ⏤ in the end ⏤ of universal justice: it almost always has the final say, especially when one values one’s own life over another’s.

Saturday, May 9
Doors 12:00 pm | Movie 12:30 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.
Tickets HERE

Adapted from two public domain stage plays, The First and the Last, 1918 by John Galsworthy; and The Reckoning, 1922
by Percival Wilde ⏤ THE LAST RECKONING was first theatrically screened in Tbilisi, Georgia at the Action Thriller Crime Adventure Film Festival where it won “Best Feature.”

Shot on Black Magic cameras in Metro Vancouver by award-winning cinematographer and director, Joel McCarthy, THE LAST RECKONING is a throwback to a society rapidly evolving around the time of the Winnipeg General Strike and the Russian Revolution. The film has an old-time feel and style and is a faithful adaptation of the two public-domain plays which have been dovetailed into a singular, cinematic whole. The film was 100% privately funded by Canadian financing. All the major players are Canadian and its collaborators trust that this film will help establish credibility for the Indie Film community of Canada.

In 1940, Vivien Leigh, Laurence Olivier and Leslie Banks starred in 21 DAYS, an adaptation of “The First and the Last,” a 1917 short-story and a 1920 short-play by John Galsworthy. Basil Dean directed and Columbia Pictures distributed 21 DAYS. Today, THE LAST RECKONING is an adaptation of two plays, one being Galsworthy’s “The First and The Last,” and so it marks the second cinematic
adaptation since the play first hit the stage in 1920.

*Minors OK! Must be 19+ w/ID for bar service.
*Sorry, Rio Theatre Groupons and passes n/a for this event.
*We recommend purchasing your tickets in advance at www.riotheatretickets.ca. If a screening or live event is not sold out, the remaining tickets will be available for in-person purchase at the Rio Theatre’s Box Office prior to showtime (subject to availability).
*Our box office is typically open 30 minutes before showtime. All seating is General Admission; please arrive 20-30 minutes prior to showtime to ensure great seats, and time for treats at concession.