Review of Hell or High Water (2016) by Oliver N — 15 Jan 2017

David MacKenzie's neo-western crime flick is a classic chase caper dressed up as a pseudo-serious character drama.

Its lead buffoons, played by Chris Pine and Ben Foster, are whooping Texan bank robbers, who kick up dirt to a clinking country soundtrack and evoke the care-free criminality of the Dukes of Hazzard. Meanwhile, Jeff Bridges plays the burbling racist Ranger on their tail - or, at the very least, sitting around at the next potential crime scene hoping they'll show up.

Family politics and anti-capitalism pretend to play a part, too, but are drowned out by pitch black comedy and the gleefully chilidish chase at the film's heart. Hell or High Water is at its best when it delivers facetious laughs and surprise sucker punches. Its at its worst whenever it pretends to be anything more than a bit of good ol' dusty fun.