Part of their Big Screen Classics series, Austin Film Society starts 2026 off with a one-woman fight against the mob. Gena Rowlands is the titular crusader, who takes a young boy under her tough but tender wing after his father – a mob accountant – gets whacked. What follows is a trial by gunfire as the two evade mobsters on the prowl for whatever the kid might know. Originally meant to just be a screenplay he sold off to Columbia Pictures, John Cassavetes only agreed to direct after his wife, Rowlands, asked him to. It may be the new year, but a
Cassavetes/Rowlands joint never goes outta style. – James Scott
