Shea Whigham and Michael Shannon are at their world class best. In particular Whigham playing the conflicted criminal who assumes the identity of the cleric he murders. The story itself is a slow burner with some holes but the performance of the leads are captivating.

Wanted for homicide and felony arson, a man (Shea Whigham) on the run is found collapsed on the side of a road, and is 'rescued' by a preacher (Bruno Bichir) on his way to a new assignment in the West Texas town of Bevel. The preacher's insistence on the man unburdening himself by way of confession leads to a gut reaction in which 'The Man' strikes the minister causing his death. After a strenuous burial attempt, the unnamed drifter goes through the preacher's possessions, and decides to assume his identity and continue onward to the destination town, where he passes himself off as the church's new minister.

The biggest questionable aspect to this story for me was how easily The Man fell into the role of a clergyman. It would have worked better if there was a hint of a religious upbringing in his past to explain how he always had the right words and Bible passages at the ready to fit the occasion for a slowly growing cast of parishioners. What I liked here was how the sheriff (Michael Shannon) was nagged by little things after he made the arrest of Valentin (Bobby Soto) for robbing the phony preacher's van, which itself was stolen. With Valentin vehemently protesting his innocence in the death of the real David Martin (Bichir),and supported by the word of his younger brother Poco (Alvaro Martinez),Sheriff Moore is further convinced that the new man in town may not be all that he claims. Realizing that a 'Wanted' poster is missing from his bulletin board adds another clue to his investigation.

In the courtroom scene, I really thought The Man would crack under the pressure of his guilt if Valentin were to be found guilty of killing Preacher Martin. His hesitancy in stating his name demonstrated how difficult he found it to continue lying about his crimes. But with his own life hanging in the balance, he found himself willing enough to continue the charade established by his assumed identity. The tumultuous outcome of that courtroom scene was enough for The Man to make his escape from town, but not from his culpability. I'll grant the resolution to the story was handled somewhat awkwardly, as The Man ruefully confesses his sins to Valentin in the boat. One would assume both men died of their injuries, Valentin from the sheriff's gunshot making his escape, and The Man from Valentin's stabbing. A case closed, though for those left behind, enough uncertainty to plague the town of Bevel back to their indifference.

A drifter (Shea Whigham) kills David Martin (Bruno Bichir ) an annoying alcoholic preacher on his way to a new job in a small southwest Texas town where Michael Shannon is the sheriff, blame the Hispanics first. He takes on the role of a preacher while Shannon hunts down 2 kids who deal pot. When the body is uncovered, the Mexicans are to blame.

I liked the character of the drifter who was not all bad or all good, but a combination like a real person. The movie dragged in too many scenes with conversation moving slow. Watchable.

Guide: F-word. No sex or nudity.