dir. by David Mackenzie
After starring on the early seasons of FX's Sons of Anarchy, Taylor Sheridan made a name for himself as a screenwriter with his excellent script to last year's Sicario. With his directorial debut set to premiere at Cannes next year, he's one of the most promising talents in the industry right now, and this second film, directed by Starred Up director David Mackenzie, only confirms that. Hell or High Water is a riveting rural crime film with deep characters and a surprising sense of humour, and while it lacks some of the novelty which made Sicario so successful, it's slightly more engaging as a whole, and in a summer as dry as this one, a thriller which is both smart and entertaining is all the more of a breath of fresh air.
Toby Howard (Chris Pine) is a divorced father who is trying to make ends meet with his brother Tanner (Ben Foster) after the death of their mother leaves them struggling to support the ranch. Deep in debt and out of work, the brothers resort to crime, robbing the cash drawers of banks to get the money they need. Meanwhile, Marcus Hamilton (Jeff Bridges) is a Texas Ranger who is investigating the robberies with his partner Alberto (Gil Birmingham), while trying to stave off his inevitable retirement.
The meeting of the brothers and the rangers is inevitable, but both are likeable enough that the meeting is more a cause for dread than anything. Toby is new to the crime life, and as we learn more and more about his motivations, he becomes more and more sympathetic, aided in part by Chris Pine's sagging, melancholy performance. He's in a bad place and has no choice. He commits crimes out of desperation more than anything else, wanting to ensure a good future for his children. Tanner, meanwhile, doesn't have the same drive. He clearly cares for his brother, but this isn't his first rodeo, and it's apparent from his attitude that he gets a rush from criminal activity.
On the other side, Marcus is clearly the more nuanced character, a product of a time long past who tries to stave off the new age. Pairing him with Alberto, a man of Mexican and Native American descent, allows for Marcus to show off the insensitive attitudes of his era. The man is a dinosaur, but he's also a human being, and his fear of retirement helps make him sympathetic. Alberto doesn't care much for his teasing, but he comes to like the old coot in spite of himself, and serves as the more even-minded of the two. Their banter serves to make ther dynamic even more engaging, and as such makes it very easy to be invested in the duo.
Hell or High Water is nothing if not well crafted, due not only to the excellent performances but to the strong, rhythmic pacing and the beautiful cinematography. This is the kind of film you could frame on a wall, and it's stylised in such a way as to evoke a strong feeling of decay and emptiness from modern West Texas. The system has failed this land, and the brothers are simply trying to survive in a dying land, one which feels just as wild as the Old West of legend. This atmosphere does wonders not only for the already-solid drama of the script, but also for the themes of economic desperation which inform said drama.
Despite the dusty feel evoked by the camera, the branded signs of stores and gas stations serve as a reminder of the film's modernity, as does the towering spectre of the financial crisis. As the film goes on, it becomes clear that, in spite of its nuanced characters, there is a clear villain: the banks. Both lead pairs on at least one occasion express contempt for the banks, who are increasingly condemned as exploitative by both lead pairs. Never does the film offer sympathy for the corporations, instead letting its characters' condemnations linger.
Debt and poverty also droops over the film, not only through Toby and Tanner but through a handful of secondary characters. Minor characters play into the feeling of decay which permeates the setting, such as a waitress who resists giving her tip to the cops as evidence. Simple visual cues like worn-down houses and spray-painted protests add to the atmosphere, and serve as excellent worldbuilding for the sagging region the film takes place in. People here are struggling, and nobody can blame the Howard brothers for making a living.
Occasionally, the film also comments on the status of Native Americans, specifically the Comanche people indigenous to the area. It slightly oversteps in trying to link commentary about colonisation to its anti-bank theme, although this only emerges in the occasional anecdote even if it slightly colours the rest of the film. More satisfying is how Toby and Tanner increasingly get in over their heads, their initial low ambitions still driving them to a criminal life which they can never escape from. Even if they're never found, they'll always be linked to their crimes, and their ordeal will never really be over.
That's all grim subject matter, but the film lightens up the mood with a dark sense of humour. Especially compared to the mostly serious Sicario, Hell or High Water has several moments of sharp comic relief, most often delivered with a bitter edge derived either from the awfulness of everyone's situation or from Marcus's racism. This levity not only provides relief from the dark themes of the story, but it also aids its pacing. There are no major dull stretches here, and when the tension lets up, the drama or humour takes its place. Mackenzie never quite builds up the same constant tension that Villeneuve does in Sicario, but his film is no less riveting.
Hell or High Water doesn't contain the freshest themes, but it's a well-crafted, intelligent, and legitimately entertaining take on economic desperation and rural decay which stands well above most other films this summer. Thoughtful, humorous, and engaging, it's a film which confirms the skills of Taylor Sheridan while granting Chris Pine real credibility as a dramatic actor. Contrary to what the past few years might have you believe, films of this quality don't come around every day, and especially in this dry season, Hell or High Water is a triumph.
9/10
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