Hell or High Water

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Two Texas brothers (Chris Pine and Ben Foster) carry out bank robberies early in the morning. All they really want to do is give themselves better lives. Things for the brothers grow more tense, however when a sheriff (Jeff Bridges) catches wind of them, and starts hunting them down. The three main actors in the movie all manage to carry the weight of their performances. Pine and Foster have fantastic chemistry with one another, giving a sense of believability to their on-screen relationship as brothers. Foster, in particular stands out. His character Tanner is an ex-con. When we first meet him as a character, he appears to be unpredictable and dangerous (in truth, I wasn’t sure exactly where hints would end up with his character). But, as the film goes on, you understand and learn the layers to him. He never had a great relationship with his mother, but actually fights to hold back tears saying he would’ve helped her near the end if she would have asked. I would also like to extend praise to writer Taylor Sheridan. He makes the dialogue in this movie feel realistic. These conversations feel like real discussions real people would have with one another. The movie opens with a fairly simple, yet haunting score (one I wish would’ve carried throughout the movie a little bit more). While I will admit I am not a huge fan of country music, the use of it in the movie works as a backdrop for the movie’s Texas setting. David Mackenzie’s direction feels simple. For that reason, it is actually incredibly effective. If I have but one flaw (and it really is a nitpick for me), the lighter humorous moments that are occasionally spiced into the mix of the movie don’t always work. They don’t necessarily feel natural, so much as forced. However, everything else comes together, working in Hell or High Water’s favor. 

9 / 10