I make it a point to seek out smaller releases whenever I can. These kinds of films often end up being among the best of the year, yet they rarely receive the promotion or attention they deserve. Hell or High Water is one of those movies. It tells the story of two brothers, Toby and Tanner Howard, played by Chris Pine and Ben Foster. Toby is the calm, level-headed one; Tanner is the volatile, out-of-control wild card who makes you wonder how he managed to stay out of prison for as long as he has. After their mother’s death, the brothers are scrambling to stop the foreclosure of the family property. The land is sitting on oil that could generate serious money—enough to secure a future—but the bank is demanding payment by the end of the week. With no legal options left, the brothers embark on a carefully planned series of bank robberies, stealing just enough to pay off the debt while staying one step ahead of the law.
The film works as a sharp, clear-eyed critique of how modern banking systems can grind ordinary people into the ground. Even though the bank in the story is a regional Texas chain rather than a Wall Street giant, the movie lands plenty of subtle and not-so-subtle points about the way financial institutions control people’s lives. Toby carries deep resentment toward the bank for trying to take the only thing his family has left. The house isn’t just his mother’s home—it’s the inheritance he wants to leave for his two sons, along with the oil profits that could change their lives. The plan to repay the bank with money stolen from its own branches is a satisfying act of comeuppance. It’s hard not to root for the brothers, especially if you have any lingering anger toward banks or the broader financial system.
On the other side of the law are two Texas Rangers, Marcus Hamilton (Jeff Bridges) and Alberto Parker (Gil Birmingham), who are determined to stop the robberies before the brothers can finish the job. Marcus is the classic old-school Texan—complete with the white cowboy hat and a mouth that doesn’t know the meaning of politically correct. He spends most of the movie trading increasingly blunt, culturally insensitive jabs with his Comanche partner Alberto. Their banter has the rhythm of an old married couple, and the comic relief they provide is one of the film’s quiet pleasures. Bridges plays Marcus as a man who is only weeks away from retirement and is clearly not ready to accept it. This case becomes his unofficial swan song before a future of sitting on the porch and yelling at kids to get off his lawn. The relationship between the two Rangers is every bit as important and well-drawn as the one between the brothers. The film understands that both pairs are essential.
Taylor Sheridan, who also wrote the previous year’s excellent Sicario, once again demonstrates a gift for character-driven storytelling with a dark, deliberate tone and a measured pace. No one in this movie feels wasted. Even minor characters—a nervous teenage bank teller, a struggling waitress at a diner—serve a purpose and help move the story forward. That attention to detail is something Sheridan’s work consistently delivers and will likely be remembered for. The cinematography captures the look and feel of small-town West Texas with remarkable authenticity (even though the film wasn’t shot entirely on location). The dusty landscapes, the burning cattle fields, the worn-down storefronts, and the faces of the people who live there all combine to create a strong sense of place. You can feel how dire the economic situation is just by looking at the world these characters inhabit. The commitment to visual authenticity is impressive and should serve as a model for anyone working in the neo-western genre.
Hell or High Water is one of the best films of the year, and it’s a genuine shame it didn’t receive wider mainstream recognition. Director David Mackenzie announces himself as a major talent with this tight, confident crime thriller. Combined with Sheridan’s screenplay, there isn’t much more you could ask for. Ben Foster continues to prove he is one of the most reliable and intense actors working today, and this is easily one of the best performances Chris Pine has ever given. Jeff Bridges is, as expected, excellent, bringing humor and melancholy to the role of the aging Ranger.The movie is a brilliantly written cops-and-robbers drama with a gritty, grounded style that never loses sight of the human cost of every decision. It remains entertaining without ever feeling flashy or overcooked. I genuinely struggled to find anything significant to complain about, and that is a rare and welcome feeling. See this film while you still can on the big screen.
Nothing else this week comes close, and it has a legitimate claim as one of the strongest American films of the year.
5/5
Society Reviews 
Leave a comment