Barron's Cove is an intense and dark new movie starring Garrett Hedlund as Caleb, a man with a rocky past who gets thrown into deep grief and rage when his son dies. Vowing vengeance for the death of his only child, Caleb seeks revenge against the unexpected person responsible: a young boy, Ethan (Christian Convery), the same age as his lost boy. The film also stars Tramell Tillman (Severance) as a friend of Caleb, Brittany Snow's Jackie, his ex-wife, Stephen Lang as crime boss Benji, and more.
The movie, which releases in theaters and on VOD on June 6, 2025, starts with a tragic incident and then kicks off even further down its dark path when Caleb, the film's protagonist, kidnaps a child. The Direct's Russ Milheim sat down with star Garrett Hedlund to discuss this shocking direction, to which the actor confirmed that Caleb feels "completely justified" in his actions. Hedlund explained that the situation and story are meant to ask an important question to audiences: "How far would you go for your child?"
Hedlund also praised his co-star Christian Convery, noting that "There wasn't anything he couldn't handle" while also describing the relationship between Caleb and Ethan as "this sort of Marionette kind of dance of manipulation and lies."
Garrett Hedlund on Playing a Protagonist That Kidnaps a Child
Garrett Hedlund's Caleb "Seems Completely Justified" In His Actions.
- The Direct: "It's an intense movie that you've made here, very dark. One thing that struck me when watching it, the movie basically starts out with your character, the protagonist, kidnapping a child, which is kind of a wild move for the main character to make. So, just right from the start, we're at an interesting point. What were your thoughts when you first read that in the script?"
Garrett Hedlund: The movie starts out with with kind of a child, who we have not necessarily met yet, tying another child to the train tracks. And what happens next is completely horrifying. So you meet a man that hasn't seen this go on, but this becomes revealed to him of what happens.
So, by the time Caleb, my character, kidnaps a child, the notion and the intuition that he's riding on this, this event of the kidnapping, seems completely justified. You know, he's just seeking revenge and seeking answers which poses the question to any audience member or parent out there, to how far would you go for your child? And then you get to watch Caleb, in this instance, exercise that question right before your eyes.
The Complicated Dynamic Between Caleb & Ethan in Barron's Cove
Garrett Hedlund Describes Their Relationship as a "Dance of Manipulation and Lies."
- The Direct: "Part of the movie is that really complicated dynamic that you have with Christian Convery's Ethan. Can you just talk about how you guys built [and] helped establish that dynamic between you two, both character-wise and just on set?"
Garrett Hedlund: Christian [is] a wonderful young actor. I mean, he's—I was a big fan of 'Sweet Tooth,' you know, my son was still a baby. We're in Boston, and I was binge-watching 'Sweet Tooth,' and it was just such a wonderful show, a wonderful original idea.
I loved every bit of it. So I was really glad that he came on to this film and saw something like myself. The scenes were, yeah, they could be intense, this sort of Marionette kind of dance of manipulation and lies... But he was a great co-pilot throughout this. There wasn't anything he couldn't handle.
Garrett Hedlund on Caleb's Rough Exterior
"He's Haunted By His Past and the Bad Things That He's Done."
- The Direct: "The movie focuses a lot on the idea of this tough exterior, you know, abrasive or not, that people can put on that kind of protects what they're really thinking or feeling. Can you talk about how that idea really permeates throughout the movie as a whole?"
Garrett Hedlund: Caleb has a pretty dangerous past. He's haunted by his past and the bad things that he's done. But there's comes an interesting moment where a detective reveals to me an answer, that it's the answer to a question that I think Caleb is really riding on the whole time, and it's so preciously this vulnerable question of, was I enough to my son, before all of this happened, was I enough? Did I provide fun, right? Did I protect him? [Did I teach him enough such as] tying on [his] shoes, to all the shit.
That I had to experience, that I had to go through, did I do it right? Was I enough? And we're so familiar with kids wondering that about their parents. You know, were they enough, or why did so-and-so leave and abandon me? Was it because of me? And we're familiar with that. I just thought it was so sweet to see such a rough and villainously capable guy wondering that about his own fathership.
So, I wanted to play with that through the script, through the story, through the film. I thought that was interesting... I think it's also interesting with this particular story, that can leave you at the edge of your seat, as I was when I was first reading. You're always trying to wonder who the villain is. You know, Is it the boy that hurt the boy, or the man that took the boy, or the man that's after the boy, or is it, you know, the system that failed all...
And I think, between that and the encounter with Caleb seeking revenge or running from his guilt. You know, the melting pot of that offers a complex kind of stew of questions that leave you at the edge of your seat until the end of the film.
The full spoiler-free discussion can be seen below:
Those itching for more of The Direct's interview coverage can be sure to check out our conversation with the director of Fear Street: Prom Queen about the post-credits scene that never was.
Barron's Cove releases in theaters and on VOD on June 6, 2025
