"Hell or High Water" stars Chris Pine, Ben Foster and Jeff Bridges. It centers around two brothers (Ben Foster and Chris Pine) who are robbing banks across Texas, and Jeff Bridges plays a Texas Ranger trying to track them down. This movie actually came out this summer, and only had a limited release, so it's a movie that has flown under the radar. Rave reviews and word of mouth made me really excited to watch this movie, and I finally got around to renting it from RedBox. I went into this movie completely blind, only knowing the cast and that it got pretty good reviews. I had no idea what to expect from this movie, and after finally seeing it, I can confirm that this is one of the best movies of the year.
To anyone that thinks about watching this, be forewarned: This is an independent movie. There is action in it, but the the story is told primarily through dialogue. The movie is a slow burn for sure; there's a lot of set up and talking, and I can see why someone might find themselves bored during the first half, but the payoff in the second half of the movie is just so good. The relationship between the two brothers played by Chris Pine and Ben Foster are really the driving force of the film, and both turn in great performances that I would say have Oscar potential. They just play off of each other so well, with Pine playing the more cool and collected brother who has to keep his hothead brother in check.
Another aspect of the film that I loved was the writing. As I mentioned, this is a movie that's pretty driven by dialogue, so the writing really needs to work (along with the performances of the actors). This movie succeeds in that, and succeeds with flying colors. Like I mentioned, there is a little action in this movie, but for the most part the story is told through conversations. That being said, I can honestly say that I wasn't bored during any of it. The story itself is also so interesting, and really focuses on rural Texas and the way of life out there, as well as how much it was effected by the mortgage crisis.
Ultimately, in a year full of big blockbuster disappointments, the smaller films have really been the ones to stand out this year. 'Hell or High Water' is no exception. Through compelling dialogue, great performances and a very interesting story, 'Hell or High Water' is easily a must-see and will probably be getting some Oscar attention once awards season rolls around.
