Who Wants Revenge?
SCORE: 75/100
****BEWARE POTENTIAL SPOILERS AHEAD****
REVIEW:
Netflix has finally released The Harder They Fall, and I'm glad to say it's a good, not great, western. While it may not be the most original or captivating story, it does more than enough to distance itself from its contemporaries.
The biggest positive for this film is its cast. Everyone here is clearly having the time of their lives, and it shows. Jonathan Majors continues to be an incredible lead, Lakeith Stanfield is impressive with his range as always, and Idris Elba is a fantastic villain as always. Regina Hall is flat out intimidating, and Zazie Beetz is always fun to watch. It's really the cast that sells the world and the story, and they do a magnificent job.
Director Jeymes Samuel has crafted a beautiful-looking film that uses color exceptionally well. When in the town of Redwood, there's color everywhere, and a particular fight sequence in a clothing store uses color so vividly. It is really funny when they arrive in a white town, and literally everything is white. All of the buildings, all of the interiors, even the dirt ground outside is white. There's a message to be had there, and it's so well done. The style of this film is also very differentiating. It feels similar to a Tarantino film when it comes to using pop music during the film (but never in a bad way) and its violence, but it also feels fresh and new.
As for the story, it's a little boring. It's your standard western revenge film, and plays on the tropes of the genre. You can clearly tell that Samuel is a massive fan of westerns, but he can't really take the film past being a standard western story. It's a little disappointing that both the director or the cast could elevate this into something more. While it's never so boring that you don't care, it feels more formulaic western than I would have anticipated, and through that I feel like it starts to lose any sort of status as a true original for the genre.
The Harder They Fall is a fun western with an impeccable cast and sense of style, and is totally worth your time. It's fresh enough that it's not boring, but does manage to have its story feel disappointingly familiar. If you have a Netflix subscription, I do recommend it as something to watch this week!
Conclusion: While it feels like a standard western revenge movie, The Harder They Fall is bolstered by its incredible cast and an awesome style that lifts it well above mediocrity.
Score: 78/100
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