Do not be fooled by the sweet-sounding title of this upcoming film because it gives no indication of its content. Little Dixie is definitely not something to watch with the whole family. It’s certain to be an entertaining and fun movie, but it’s likely to be riddled with extreme violence and language, given the film’s subject and rating. Set to premiere next month, Little Dixie is a gritty action thriller centered around a Mexican drug cartel and their battle with an ex-special forces officer after they kidnap his daughter in an act of revenge following a deal gone bad with a suspicious American governor.

Written and directed by John Swab, Little Dixie marks yet another feature film made by Swab to star Frank Grillo, which includes Ida Red, Body Brokers, and the upcoming One Days as a Lion, currently in post-production. Fans of the actor will also recognize him from such films as The Purge: Anarchy and Captain America: Civil War just to name a few. Anyone who is a lover of Grillo and his previous projects is sure to enjoy his upcoming movie with Swab.

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It’s safe to say the director and actor duo are no strangers to the action-thriller genre, which should bode well for the upcoming release. The plot of the film is likely to bring in many diehard action fans, while the duo’s solid fan base is enough to garner viewers for the movie as well. However, there is no theatrical release set for the movie, which could potentially hinder its reception. Rather, Paramount, who acquired the distribution rights, has opted for the film to head straight to streaming and on-demand. Here’s everything we know so far about Little Dixie.

Little Dixie: The Plot

Little Dixie follows Doc Alexander, an ex-special forces officer, as he does everything in his power to protect his daughter, known as Little Dixie, from a cold-blooded drug lord named Cuco. The catalyst for the film begins after a delicate truce deal between the questionable United States Governor Richard Jeffs and the Mexican cartel headed by Cuco goes awry. Given his background, Doc assists with facilitating the deal, but after the police show up in a concerted effort to wipe out the cartel, a clear set up by Governor Jeffs, Doc is caught in the crossfire.

After dragging Doc into a larger fight against the cartel, Jeffs manages to put a target on Doc’s back while simultaneously endangering the life of the ex-special forces officer’s daughter. After using his connections and know-how to facilitate a deal with the cartel, Jeffs blindsides Doc with an ulterior plan, essentially hanging him out to dry. Without any real help from the governor or other U.S. officials, it’s up to Doc to ensure his daughter stays safe as Cuco ruthlessly pursues those who have crossed him. Whether Doc played a part in the police raid during the deal surely won’t matter to the leader of the cartel.

Little Dixie: The Cast

     Paramount

At the heart of the movie is Frank Grillo who plays Doc Alexander. He’s a former special forces officer who’s in the midst of fighting his own personal demons as he attempts to save his daughter after she’s been taken by the cartel. Others in the film include some familiar faces like Eric Dane who fans of the HBO series Euphoria will recognize as the complex and self-destructive father, Cal Jacobs. He plays Governor Richard Jeffs, who plunges Doc into his battle against the Mexican cartel before reconciling the consequences of such an action.

At the head of the terrifying cartel is Raphael “Cuco” Prado played by Beau Knapp. If the trailer is any indication, Knapp appears to play the boogeyman at the top of the cartel with a ghastly presence who is meant for nothing more than to strike fear among anyone who crossed his path. Given the suggested trajectory of the trailer, there’s sure to be an ultimate showdown between Knapp’s Cuco and Grillo’s Doc. Both appear tailor-made for their roles, which will certainly make for quite a clash during the film’s climax.

Rounding out the rest of the cast is Annabeth Gish, most recently seen in AMC’s series Mayfair Witches as Deirdre Mayfair, who plays Billie Riggs. Mercedes Mason, most notably recognized as Ofelia Salazar from the AMC series Fear the Walking Dead plays Julie Reed, and Peter Greene, known for movies such as The Mask and The Bounty Hunter, plays Karl Roach. Finally, the title character and daughter of Doc is played by Sofia Bryant, who viewers will recognize from the prematurely canceled Netflix series I’m Not Okay With This.

Release Date

Little Dixie will be available on digital as well as on-demand beginning February 3.