#7. Hell or High Water
David Mackenzie’s Hell or High Water, about two poverty stricken Texans who rob banks to pay off their debts, has more to boast about than pretty much any film this year. There’s the earthy, yet elevated control of the director, who first appeared on the scene after he helmed the exceptional prison family drama Starred Up. We also have the performances that accomplish so many things: Chris Pine shocks us all with his emotional range, Ben Foster proves yet again how great he is, and Jeff Bridges adds yet another Oscar-nomination, well deserved. All of this, and yet there is one other aspect that really makes this film the instant classic that it is: Taylor Sheridan’s script. Sheridan, a character actor who has appeared on shows like Sons of Anarchy, blew everyone away with his 2015 script for Sicario. Hell or High Water takes that initial excitement and firmly presents its scribe as a talent to look out for. His words are plain spoken, yet epic, almost Biblical. The things these characters say sound instantly familiar, as if you have heard them in another famous film. You haven’t. You have never seen anything this homespun and universal.
David Mackenzie’s Hell or High Water, about two poverty stricken Texans who rob banks to pay off their debts, has more to boast about than pretty much any film this year. There’s the earthy, yet elevated control of the director, who first appeared on the scene after he helmed the exceptional prison family drama Starred Up. We also have the performances that accomplish so many things: Chris Pine shocks us all with his emotional range, Ben Foster proves yet again how great he is, and Jeff Bridges adds yet another Oscar-nomination, well deserved. All of this, and yet there is one other aspect that really makes this film the instant classic that it is: Taylor Sheridan’s script. Sheridan, a character actor who has appeared on shows like Sons of Anarchy, blew everyone away with his 2015 script for Sicario. Hell or High Water takes that initial excitement and firmly presents its scribe as a talent to look out for. His words are plain spoken, yet epic, almost Biblical. The things these characters say sound instantly familiar, as if you have heard them in another famous film. You haven’t. You have never seen anything this homespun and universal.