I had seen trailers and advertisements for this film everywhere around the time it came out but initially had no interest in it due to its western appeal. That was a mistake. Hell or High Water is an excellent film that has some of the bleakest yet most emotional performances I have seen as of recent. I am surprisingly glad that I was able to finally see this, as the drama and humor in this film work excellently together. Even though the main plot throughout this film is fairly dull and predictable, the characters that were brought to life by this cast were amazing. This movie, at its core, is really just a modern heist film disguised as a rough-and-tumble western, but with entertainment value that is sure to please any fan of this genre.
Two homegrown brothers, Tanner (Ben Foster) and Toby (Chris Pine) are just reconnecting after Tanner's release from prison. When they start robbing banks again to pay back their family's ranch, they catch the eye of many local townspeople, the whole police force, and especially two hardened detectives, Marcus (Jeff Bridges) and Alberto (Gil Birmingham); all who want them dead. This story is very generic, as this plot has been seen countless times before. Two brothers go to any means necessary to get money for their family, with one brother being a bit more reckless than the other. I felt that the A-plot of this film was written very lazily by Taylor Sheridan and that these characters had the potential to be part of a story much more apt to their developments. With an incredibly talented cast such as this, it is a shame that these characters were pushed aside during so many moments solely for the cliche emotional aspect. However, the cast and their respective characters are what make this film so engaging, making up for any lack of interest that the story may have had. The relationships between the brothers and the detectives kept mirroring each other throughout this narrative, which made for one of this film's most interesting parts. Seeing the cinematic parallels and how they fit well together was great and very furthering for not just the story, but the audience as well. Pine and Foster's performances made me care so much about their struggles with keeping their family together, but at the same time, Bridges and Birmingham's performances made me care so much about their friendship and struggle to maintain the law. This part of the writing was excellent, it's just a shame that there couldn't have been a more creative plot to put them through.
While the characters are what kept this film afloat, the tone and humor were great as well. I originally believed that this movie was a solid western, which turned me off from it, but once I got past my often-incorrect biases, I found this film to be solidly entertaining. This movie was not as much of a western as it was a heist film set in Middle America. I feel like I only had as much fun as I did with this film because of this nice surprise. The opening sequence and every bank-robbing scene was heart-pounding and especially once the audience learns more about the brothers, can't help but root for them. This is also because of the humor throughout the movie and its perfect blend with the drama. Since Foster's character was more of the wild card of the brothers, he provided so many good laughs and insane antics. As frustratingly ill-conceived as his notions were, it was hilarious to see their interactions. The detectives were cast very well together too, making for excellent chemistry. Bridges will always be one of my favorite actors and he brings the same, gruff lovability to every role he plays. The scenes in and surrounding the steak restaurant with Marcus and Alberto really solidified their friendship for me. Which is why when *spoilers* Alberto is gruesomely shot through the eye in the final shootout, I was devastated. Even though it was fairly predictable, it didn't change the impact that it had.
Hell or High Water is a solid film with unsurprisingly fantastic performances and a story for the audience to really hook their teeth into. Despite the movie's often ambiguous plot and predictable beats, the characters are what bring this film to life the most. I would definitely recommend this movie and not *just* for a dirty Chris Pine.
My Rating: ★★★½
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