I have a new essay at CrimeReads about Sean Penn’s screenwriting and directorial debut, “The Indian Runner” – a profound and deeply moving film that Penn based on the Bruce Springsteen song, “Highway Patrolman.”

“The Indian Runner” powerfully applies to America’s current crises, as it deftly and bravely explores the violence in American history and the American psyche. Read my essay to get the full story behind the movie, and my own interpretation.