2016 ( USA ) ( Crime, Drama )
STARRING: Dale Dickey, Ben Foster, Chris Pine
DIRECTOR: David Mackenzie
Set in sleepy West Texas, Hell Or High Water has the feel of an old-school western steeped in the harsh economic realities of the modern American heartland; a world of broken promises, rusted machinery, lost honour and desperate individuals who will do anything they can to survive hard times. In the case of Toby (Chris Pine) and his older brother Tanner (Ben Foster) that means robbing banks, specifically branches of the Texas Midlands bank.
The great Jeff Bridges plays grizzled, grumpy Texas Ranger Marcus. On the eve of retirement, he is not a man to give up on a case and is determined to bring these bank robbers to justice even as his bones ache and his energy dwindles.
Given all the talent on both sides of the camera you would expect Hell Or High Water to be a great thriller. What you don’t expect is how deeply it cuts and how much you care about the characters and the people caught in the crossfire of their impossible dreams. It’s hard to recall the last American film that was so beautifully made and so satisfying to watch. Highly recommended.
(1hr 42min)