Hell or High Water

A decent old school robbery crime drama that builds mainly on a desert atmosphere and a trio of great actors. Ben Foster is classically nutty, Chris Pine is excellent as usual, he's been picking decent films lately, and Jeff Bridges was perfect for the role of the Texas sheriff. I wasn't bored for a moment, it's just a pity that there is no gore at all, which would have been useful here, otherwise great. 80% (22/11/2016)

A pure post-western that doesn't remember the old days fondly, but laments the misery of the present, which doesn't favor cowboys. It’s a wistful tale from the borderlands that reigns in its casting and pure direction. However, the theatrical standing on the porch with a beer in your hand and philosophy on your lips is perhaps too much at times. (15/01/2017)

A modern western with everything, even with a straightforward uncomplicated story that is not stupid. And although I liked Sheridan's Wind River a little more, I have no reason not to be satisfied. The script takes great care of all the characters (even the smallest ones, such as the old man in the bank or the waitress - actually waitresses - in the restaurant), the actors are perfect, and the directing and the camera make it all great. Add the music of Nick Cave and Warren Ellis, and the fact that this whole thing has the zest of Sam Peckinpah films, and you'll understand why this isn’t the last time I will watch Hell or High Water. (16/12/2018)

As always, the fascinating setting of neo-western Texas is so bleak and grimy as to be immensely beautiful, and set within it is an admittedly unoriginal but utterly absorbing, rhythmic and logically unfolding plot about two bank robbers and a persistent sheriff. The performances are excellent throughout; directorially, the film it’s not dazzling, igniting tension with general communicativeness and intense escalation of the inevitable collision of the two sub-worlds, but within the established technical and narrative parameters, it’s a perfectly effective conversational detective drama that manages to create an excellent atmosphere only with engaging dialogues, diversified with an academically targeted racist theme. A great cool movie with the traditional Bridges and a great musical score by Nick Cave, a steal of the golden bald man might have been appropriate. (30/12/2016)

The film had a great theme, a good cast, a decent atmosphere, and finally some politically incorrect humor. I had fun, but... everything I just mentioned was spoiled by the ridiculously slow pacing. If you want to use long shots of the landscape, don’t pick Texas where everything looks the same. I was strongly surprised by the lack of negative characters. Even the lawyer was a good guy, so the mortgage guy was left to pick up the slack. What I liked was the rather unexpected ending. 3*+ (09/07/2018)