Review of Hell or High Water (2016) by Theraggedflygon — 26 Jan 2020

Hell or High Water appears as another standard "rob the bank" movie while a policeman hunts them down, but as the movie progresses, you begin to see it as much more than that. Each of the three main actors give amazing performances. Ben Foster is the hardened criminal who is in this because it is fun and couldn't care less what happens to those who oppose him. Chris Pine is the brains of the operation who has, for the most parts, good intentions and just wants to get the job done. Jeff Bridges is a cop who is near retirement who is searching for one last catch to end his career. All three of these actors are absolutely fantastic and they carry this film.

What this film gains in its character, it lacks in its plot. Its plot is quite simple, lacks few twists or turns, and ends just about exactly how you expect. The characters and dialogue are why you watch this film, not because its plot will keep you enticed throughout. That being said, this film does make a very interesting statement about capitalism by drawing comparisons between modern capitalistic practices and the mistreatment of American Indians. That, for me, was the most interesting part of this film plot-wise. The main storyline is still a bit lacking in terms of thrills, but it does succeed in clearly outlining its central theme.

Overall, Hell or High Water is unlikely to be remembered by me as one of the greatest films of all time, it feels very similar to other movies that I have seen, however what it is is one of the greatest films of 2016 that contains some of Pine, Foster, and Bridges' best performances to date and for that reason, it is worth a watch.