Directed by:
John Lee HancockScreenplay:
John FuscoCinematography:
John SchwartzmanComposer:
Thomas NewmanCast:
Kevin Costner, Woody Harrelson, Kathy Bates, Kim Dickens, John Carroll Lynch, W. Earl Brown, Thomas Mann, David Furr, William Sadler, Jesse C. Boyd (more)VOD (1)
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Kevin Costner plays legendary lawman Frank Hamer and Woody Harrelson will play his long-suffering sidekick Manny Gault. Though both men were out of the Rangers by the time Bonnie & Clyde started their robbery reign, they were commissioned as special investigators, coaxed back by a consortium of banks to assemble a posse and end the robbery spree of the notorious gang reputed to have killed 13 cops - and others. The Highwaymen takes the vantage point of the formidable posse headed by Hamer, an old style Texas Ranger who’d survived 100 gunfights and killed 53 people. (South by Southwest Film Festival)
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Reviews (10)
Netflix once again stumbled upon a good director and a solid premise. Add in the superb acting performance by Kevin Costner and Woody Harrelson and you will think that a quality viewing experience is guaranteed. Too bad that given its two-and-a-half-hour running time, the film is very slow-paced, which in the second half of the movie becomes quite a hindrance. Anyhow, the premise is great. I liked it. It’s definitely worth watching. Several scenes are really wonderful, but cutting it short by an hour wouldn’t hurt.
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An atmospheric, non-action crime film set in the 1930s that bears a little resemblance to Untouchables and Public Enemies in terms of expression, but falls short in terms of direction, scene composition, escalating tension and action. Costner and Harrelson are the draws and their cynical duo is the highlight of the film. Unfortunately, the main villains are given woefully little space and everything around them is basically insufficient. Not great enough as a robust crime drama, OK as an intimate drama between two obsolete detectives, but the ambition was obviously higher. But Netflix can check it off the list anyway.
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A wholesome homage to westerns that revives classical traditions like its likeable heroes. Viewers hungry for shootouts and darkness won’t be satisfied, but the neglected fans of the kind of genre flicks that back in the day were created like on a treadmill should be elated. If you liked the recent Hell or High Water and don’t mind an even more sedentary approach, this should be the film for you. And although a deeper look into the psychology of the characters, giving them more original conflicts, and not relying so much on proven templates wouldn’t have hurt, I actually enjoyed the slightly generic concept, I felt good in the company of the heroes and at one point I had no problem accepting the pace and the ambitions. Costner and Harrelson, especially, are very good, and Hancock was a surprise.
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An old-school classic. The film starts off slowly, trying to give viewers a closer look at the two main characters, which I consider important when you're going to spend a good amount of time with them. Some might find this pacing problematic, and I would understand that, but I quickly got used to this style. I guess I expected Bonnie and Clyde to get more screen time, but unfortunately, that didn’t happen. Otherwise, Kevin Costner and Woody Harrelson were great; the scene with Woody in the bathroom was definitely a highlight of the film (a bit of a shame they hinted at it in the trailers). These actors have charisma to spare, which added credibility to their characters (though I still can’t shake the feeling that if the film had been made in the 80s with Newman and Redford, it would have been on a whole different level). The dialogue was excellent, and the atmosphere of the 1930s was palpable in every shot. Don’t expect much action; the film doesn’t try to be anything other than a solid drama. But strong moments do come, whether it’s the scene with the murdered policemen or the final showdown, which certainly wasn’t shy with the bullets. I recommend it, and also suggest reading up on the real Hamer and Gault. It’s worth it. I give the film 80%.
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Really genuine “too old for this shit" classical, old school, Western in a long time. And the fact that it takes place in 1930s when the economic crisis is in full swing and the cars are covering endless distances instead of horses, doesn´t change it at all. Slowly (I really mean very slowly) flowing, based on the central duo, beautifully captured and played. It's openly “McCarthy's" style, that´s for sure. In other words, it´s seemingly “only" genre movie with melancholic ambiance that is hard to resist. Its captivating (non) pace will either put you to sleep reliably or enchant you completely.
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