Taylor Sheridan’s 97%-Rated Heist Movie Is the Best Contemporary Western of the Decade
Guess who wrote it?
There's no denying that Western (neo-Western, okay) is still one of the most popular genres, and there are many reasons for that. Combining the best of all the other genres, it manages to bring in some truly unique qualities.
And while the golden age of Westerns is considered to be somewhere between 1940 and 1960, it seems to us that every time period has its own perfect examples of western movies that are considered to be the highlight of their time. And the fans are clear that a certain Taylor Sheridan movie is the best in this decade.
It is titled Hell or High Water, and a true fan of the genre can’t afford to miss it.
What Is Hell or High Water About?
Hell or High Water is a 2016 film directed by David Mackenzie and written by Taylor Sheridan. It tells the story of a divorced man and father, who is trying to make his life better any way possible. His name is Toby and he has an ex-con brother with a short temper. The story revolves around them trying to make the bank that is about to seize their family ranch suffer.
They have a plan to rob it, but it seems they have a real Texas Ranger on their trail. The man has nothing to lose because he is retiring in a few weeks. So he makes this case his life.
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The movie has an exceptional cast with Chris Pine, Ben Foster, and Jeff Bridges playing the main roles. There are also many supporting characters that add depth to the overall story.
The most interesting thing is that Sheridan wrote his characters in such a way that you start to empathize with each of them. And with Mackenzie's direction, the movie becomes a true masterpiece of the genre.
Is Hell or High Water Worth Watching?
Hell or High Water is Taylor Sheridan’s another take on neo-westerns, and the numbers speak for themselves: the film scored 97% from critics and 88% from viewers on Rotten Tomatoes, and it has a huge fan base in social media.
“What makes this movie work so well is the perfect execution of a simple story. Each character is well fleshed out and the dialogue is very naturalistic. The conversations between them are always engaging. This adds to the spectacular atmosphere created and makes the southern setting feel much more authentic,” Redditor Schnitzel129 said.
Hell or High Water is available to stream on Paramount+, Hulu and Netflix.