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Hell or High Water (2016)

Hell or High Water (2016)

A modern heist Western that's so good it could resurrect an entire genre.

The Very Best

9.2

Movie

United States of America
English
Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
2016
DAVID MACKENZIE
Alma Sisneros, Amber Midthunder, Ariel Holmes
102 min

What it's about

A divorced dad and his ex-con brother resort to a desperate scheme in order to save their family's farm in West Texas.

The take

Written by actor-turned-screenwriter Taylor Sheridan (Sicario) and directed by David Mackenzie (who is responsible for the prison drama Starred up), this well-acted Western is one of the most captivating movies of 2016. Chris Pine and Ben Foster play two brothers, one cautious and out to better himself, the other, an ex-convict with an itchy trigger finger, whose family ranch is threatened by the local bank. Both set out to make a high-risk living of travelling and robbing that bank's local branches. On the other side of town, grizzled Texas ranger Marcus, played by none other than Academy Award-winner Jeff Bridges, has one foot in retirement but is bent on solving their case. The film's spectacular cinematography is reinforced by the brooding original music, composed by none other than Nick Cave and long-time collaborator Warren Ellis. It takes you on a journey that is as much about the two brothers' violent upbringing as it is about the decaying towns they visit, making this modern-day crime western not only a great thriller but a tribute to the Texan way of life.

Comments

An outstanding western story with excellent characters and a gripping movie till the end

I agree, a really entertaining movie. The dialogues cracked me up, I think it is funnier than most “comedies” these days.

i enjoyed this film thoroughly – the best hollywood film I’ve seen in a long time. A contemporary western, it has all the american myths but it feels like America now. The dialogue is so good I watched it two nights in a row – rare for me.

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