Hell or High Water; Highly Recommended Western

Austin Darling, Staff writer

Hell or High Water is a highly acclaimed movie directed by David Mackenzie and released to theaters in 2016. This modern western features a 97% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and follows the story of a divorced father Toby. Toby pairs up with his brother Tanner and the two go around on a bank-robbing bender. The duo will soon attract the attention of Texas Raner Marcus who is hell-bent on one last ride before his retirement.

Notable actors include Chris Pine, Ben Foster, and Jeff Bridges. Pine is the lead actor and assumes the role of Toby. Foster follows suit and is another lead character, taking on the role of Tanner. Bridges goes above and beyond in his performance of Marcus, truly making the audience believe that he is a Texas Ranger. 

The modern western often has issues with keeping attention or truly diving the audience into the

atmosphere of the story. Hell or High Water does not have this issue, however, and is one of few

films to capture my full attention for the entire duration. While westerns and action films are

often seen as a dime a dozen, this is not one to miss. Between the complexity of the characters,

their motives, and their actions, Hell or High Water will go down as one of the classics of

modern cinema.

It is recommended that everyone should enjoy this movie. Even those who do not enjoy the typical western, action, or thriller can find enjoyment in the charisma of this film. For those who wish to dive into the world created by Mackenzie, Hell or High Water can be streamed on Netflix.