Sunday, December 12, 2021

The Harder They Fall (2021)


IMDb plot summary: When an outlaw discovers his enemy is being released from prison, he reunites his gang to seek revenge in this Western.
Directed by Jeymes Samuel. Starring Jonathan Majors, Zazie Beetz, RJ Cyler, and Edi Gathegi.

This film is notable for being a western story with an all-Black lead cast, and that alone would make it something worth checking out, but it's also a tremendously stylish film. It uses its editing and music and blocking and cinematography in such creative ways that capture the attention. It reminds me a bit of Tarantino's recent westerns, but way better and more engaging. The story is pretty standard, but it brings some unique characters and some truly astonishing visuals into it and makes the whole thing pop. I think I let out an audible gasp at a few of the shots and set pieces. I'm most likely going to forget the story shortly, but I'm not going to forget how great the movie looked.

How it entered my Flickchart:
The Harder They Fall < Hustle & Flow
The Harder They Fall > Cassandra's Dream
The Harder They Fall > Batman: Under the Red Hood
The Harder They Fall > Planes, Trains & Automobiles
The Harder They Fall > Stagecoach
The Harder They Fall > Letters from Iwo Jima
The Harder They Fall > Raising Cain
The Harder They Fall > Zelig
The Harder They Fall > The Misfits
The Harder They Fall > The Keep
The Harder They Fall > Gas, Food, Lodging
The Harder They Fall < Monsters
Final spot: #1751 out of 3498, or 50%.

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