Review of Hell or High Water (2016) by Eric H — 27 Nov 2016

Hell or High Water is an amazing and gripping western heist film. It stars Chris Pine, Ben Foster, Jeff Bridges, and Gil Birmingham. Chris Pine and Ben Foster play brothers who start robbing banks for a personal reason.

Chris Pine and Ben Foster both deliver career defining performances and have great on screen chemistry. Chris Pine delivers a subtle and emotionally reserved performance, that really cements him as a great dramatic actor.

Ben Foster turns in what I think is the best performance of the movie and his career. He plays an unpredictable, charismatic, and borderline-crazy ex-con. His character commits horrid actions towards the end of the movie, and other things he's done are hinted at, but he's so likable thanks to Foster's performance and the script, that it's extremely difficult to dislike or root against him.

Jeff Bridges play's an aging soon to retire texas ranger, who takes on one more case before leaving the force for good. He delivers a performances akin to True Grit (2010) and Crazy Heart (2009). He turns in a great performance, one that deserves a spot on his decade spanning filmography.

He has great chemistry with his partner, played by Gil Birmingham, and it was fun to watch them interact and try and track down the bank robbers (Pine and Foster). This film has great direction, and thats thanks to David Mackenzie.

He previously directed Starred Up, one of my personal favorite films of 2013. He's great at directing characters, scenery, and action. The script was written by Taylor Sheridan who has a great track record, this being his second script after Sicario, which was one of my favorites of 2015.

Here he crafts great dialogue, interesting and believable characters, and is able to mix in elements of comedy, with creating an inconsistent tone. The score by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis is great, and really helps set the scene, set the tone, and build tension.

Finally the cinematography by Giles Nuttgens is great, and there are some really good shots in this film. I'd say this a must see, and I'd recommend watching it as soon as you can.