Julia Stiles and Anthony Hopkins Shake Down a Corrupt Ray Liotta in ‘Blackway’

Dyan James

A small, Pacific Northwest logging community on the edge of the woods is the setting for the thriller “Blackway” starring Anthony Hopkins, Julia Stiles, Ray Liotta and Alexander Ludwig.

Filmed in Enderby, British Columbia, “Blackway,” adapted from the well-received novel “Go with Me” by Castle Freeman Jr., is about a woman named Lillian (Stiles) who, after spending time in Seattle, returns to her rural hometown to live in her dead mother’s home and make ends meet working waitressing gigs and substitute teaching. However, Lillian’s return to town will also include being tormented and stalked by a thug ex-cop named Blackway (Liotta). Now a violent crime lord and feared by everyone who knows him, Blackway’s constant, agonizing harassment of Lillian causes her to take desperate measures. Although she has virtually no support from her fellow community members and was told to leave town by the local sheriff, Lillian refuses to back down to the sociopathic bully who won’t stop terrorizing her; an attack in her home and the dismemberment of her mother’s cat are among the monstrous offenses Blackway makes against Lillian. Working off of a tip from the sheriff, she teams up with Lester (Hopkins), a tough, retired logger who carries his own grudge against Blackway. He and another logger named Nate (Ludwig) help Lillian face Blackway head on. Thanks to her allies, Lillian may actually stand a chance in beating him at his own game.

“Blackway” was screened under the title “Go with Me” at the ‘15 Venice Film Festival to mixed reviews. But the coupling of Stiles with Hopkins in this suspenseful thriller was widely viewed as an asset to the film and a compliment to Stiles’ acting.

“I have so much to learn, and I’m really fortunate that I get to work with actors like him,” Stiles said in an interview when speaking of Hopkins. “That’s one of the main reasons I wanted to do the movie, to soak up everything that I could.” Although trained as a New York City actor for most of her life, Stiles said she’d be “foolish not to” keep learning from a pro like Hopkins.

“Blackway” opens nationwide Jun. 10.