MovieChat Forums > Old Henry (2021) Discussion > Excellent Western, something I never tho...

Excellent Western, something I never thought possible in 2021. Just one small thing that was a bit hokey.

posted 3 years ago by whynotwriteme (7762)
2 replies | jump to latest

SPOILER ALERT
I loved Old Henry. It's the first Western I have seen in a long time that really felt like a classic Western, and not something that was dreamed up based on video games. Tim Blake Nelson did a wonderful job as a middle-aged Billy the Kid.

The only thing I found a little off is the brands on the arms worn by the outlaws. This seemed more like a device from some corny old Lone Ranger episode than the kind of movie Old Henry is for most of the runtime. I know they had to have a way for Henry to identify the "Sheriff" as one of the gang, but surely there was a better way than the brands. This was just a small complaint, though, and not enough to tarnish my high opinion of this Western.

[–] cyguration (3951) 3 years ago

It was a minor thing, but I thought it was effective, because once Henry saw it he knew, and that's when his fate was sealed.

I was dearly hoping Henry would have lived, but I was also fine with the ending as a comeuppance for past crimes. It tied itself up neatly and was a much better overall movie than The Power of The Dog, which was more of a subversive Western with the intent of injecting current-day politics into an older tale.

[–] whynotwriteme (7762) 3 years ago

Agreed! It was so refreshing to see a current movie with no political agenda whatsoever. The fact that it was a Western made it even more enjoyable.