Review: Hell or High Water

Hell or High Water is a 2016 film written by Taylor Sheridan and directed by David McKenzie. Set in blistering rural Texas, it focusses on two brothers, played by Chris Pine and Ben Foster, who rob banks, and a cop on the verge of retirement who is chasing them, played by Jeff Bridges. There’s action, there’s tension, there’s laughs.

Tonally, the film carries itself with a particular relaxed, laid-back nature that seems to befit the type of life present in small-town Texas. What makes this tone so much more appealing is how well it complements the more intense moments of the film, of which there are plenty, with much of the film’s runtime being taken up by bank heists, car chases and shootouts, and more. Adding to the fun of the plot is a real sense of humour which shows up not just in the banter of the various main characters but also in the dialogue of the various minor or incidental characters that pop up, including a very memorably dismissive elderly waitress in a steakhouse.

The film explores some interesting themes relating to poverty and capitalism, and the central premise of the brothers stealing from the banks that are stealing from them is an irony that serves the film quite well. Unfortunately, it’s an irony that is too often stated rather overexplicitly, meaning the way that the issues are treated is too on the nose to have proper weight. I would have preferred to see a more subtle approach to dealing the social commentary, an approach that can in fact be seen in the film, particularly in the ways that it raises certain moral questions, but it’s an approach which is obscured by the numerous bits of dialogue that make it painfully obvious.

Likewise, the soundtrack seems piled on a bit too high. For some reason the filmmakers felt it necessary to add songs underneath every second scene until there was little room for anything else to tell the story. It’s a pity because there’s an absolutely fantastic central score done by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis which truly gives us a feel for the setting and works with the visuals to create an interesting mood. It’s just not given much breathing space because of how overstuffed the rest of the soundtrack is.

Clever but not quite clever enough, if nothing else this film is a lot of fun and is definitely better than your average crime drama.

Hell or High Water opens October the 27th.

Written by Ben Volchok

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.