Black Snake Moan, an intriguing drama from writer/director Craig Brewer, takes place in a remote southern town. The film is Brewer’s first writing and directorial outing since his breakthrough effort with Hustle & Flow in 2005.

Rae (Christina Ricci) is unable to cope now that her boyfriend Ronnie (Justin Timberlake) has left for basic training to become a U.S. Marine. She tries to dull her pain by turning to an assortment of pills, illegal drugs, reckless partying, booze and sex with complete strangers. When Rae mocks Ronnie’s best-friend Gill (Michael Raymond-James) instead of having sex with him, he savagely beats her and throws her from a moving vehicle into a ditch at the side of a road.

Meanwhile, Lazarus (Samuel L. Jackson) -- who left performing as a blues guitarist behind several decades ago to get married, become a farmer, and find religion -- is reeling after his wife demands a divorce so she can live with his brother Deke (Leonard L. Thomas), the man she’s been having a long-term affair with. Still upset from the news, Lazarus awakes the next morning to find Rae barely alive in a gutter near the access road leading to his cabin. Lazarus intends simply to find out the woman’s true identity and nurse her back to health. But when he learns about her recent activities with men, he decides to keep Rae chained to a radiator in his cabin. He believes God has meant for him to put an end to her wicked behavior.

Naturally, Rae is livid when she regains consciousness and discovers Lazarus has chained her to a radiator. She immediately tries to barter for her freedom by telling Lazarus he can do anything he wants to her sexually if he releases her immediately following. However, Lazarus is not interested in having sex with Rae. Instead, he recites several Bible verses to her as grounds for keeping her captive and firmly secured to the radiator. In spite of everything that's happened, could there be a common bond between these two very different people? If so, will they be able to help each other?

To complicate matters, when Ronnie receives a discharge from the Marines because of his panic attacks and can’t find Rae, Gill tells him about her latest escapades, making them sound far worse than they are in reality. 

Jackson and Timberlake both provide solid performances here, but Ricci stands out as a tortured soul who has suffered unspeakable abuse at the hands of others throughout her life. With Black Snake Moan, Brewer delivers a powerful, raw, and emotionally charged film, one that left a lasting effect on this viewer.

(Released by Paramount Vantage and rated “R” for strong sexual content, some violence and drug use.)