Old Henry

Western of the year and quite possibly the indie surprise of the year. I ignored the film at first and I admit I wasn't too keen on it, but I'm pleasantly surprised. Yes it's no Godless, but I can't think of a more impressive western since Hostiles and The Salvation. Although it lacks the classic Western tropes, it is very adequate but for a minimalist effort. The first half is an intimate western drama with good craftsmanship, an Eastwood touch, a tense atmosphere and very good actors (Tim Blake Nelson is terrific as the farmer and Stephen Dorff's bad guy rips the spotlight on himself whenever he appears). The finale, however, breaks into a wonderfully action-packed and brutal western ride, with the main character going up against everyone alone in assassin mode, using shotgun, Colts, knives and axes to make a mess of things, and there two solid twists on top of that. I don't think anyone expected this from such an unassuming project. Nothing groundbreaking, but engaging enough to entertain on a dull guy's night out. Go for it and enjoy it! Story 4/5, Action 4/5, Humor 0/5, Violence 3/5, Fun 4/5 Music 4/5, Visuals 4/5, Atmosphere 4/5, Suspense 4/5, Emotion 4/5, Actors 5/5. 8/10. (13/10/2021)

A small, fast, down-to-earth western; decently made on a shoestring with a couple of actors, but also with a love of filmmaking, starring the great Blake Nelson. It's nothing groundbreaking or innovative, but all the fun aspects that a viewer wants to see in a good western are there. (16/10/2021)

Apparently, you can make a decent movie with just a few characters, a simple plot, and a good atmosphere. Tim Blake Nelson was excellent in his role, and I wasn’t discouraged by the slow pace at all because I could feel that the story would pick up speed. I was going to give it four stars, but several serious insults to logic happened towards the end, so I decided that three stars would be enough. It's still worth watching, though. (21/01/2022)