Jump to content

Hell or High Water(film)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Hell or High Water
The top of the poster is filled with frogs wearing cowboy hats. Beneath two men walk across a harsh landscape hauling two large black duffel bags.
Theatrical release poster
Directed byDavid Mackenzie
Written byTaylor Sheridan
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyGiles Nuttgens
Edited byJake Roberts
Music by
Production
companies
Distributed by
Release dates
  • May 16, 2016(2016-05-16)(Cannes)
  • August 12, 2016(2016-08-12)(United States)
Running time
102 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$12 million[2]
Box office$37.9 million[2]

Hell or High Wateris a 2016 Americanneo-Westerncrime drama filmdirected byDavid Mackenzieand written byTaylor Sheridan.It follows two brothers (Chris PineandBen Foster) who carry out a series of bank robberies to save their family ranch, while being pursued by twoTexas Rangers(Jeff BridgesandGil Birmingham). It was the final film produced byOddLot Entertainmentbefore its dissolution in 2015.

Hell or High Waterpremiered at theUn Certain Regardsection of theCannes Film Festivalon May 16, 2016, and was theatrically released in the United States on August 12, 2016. It received critical acclaim, particularly for Pine, Foster, and Bridges' performances, Sheridan's screenplay, and the editing. It grossed $37.9 million on a $12 million budget. TheAmerican Film Instituteselected it as one of its10 movies of the year,and it was nominated for numerous awards, including fourOscarnominations:Best Picture,Best Supporting Actor(Bridges),Best Original Screenplay,andBest Editing.

The film is the second installment of writerTaylor Sheridan'sAmerican Frontier Trilogy,along withSicarioandWind River.

Plot[edit]

InWest Texas,brothers Toby and Tanner Howard rob two branches of the Texas Midlands Bank. Though the robberies are well-planned, Tanner's wild nature leads him to take unnecessary risks, frustrating Toby. Their mother has died after a long illness, leaving their ranch in debt because of areverse mortgageprovided by the Texas Midlands Bank, which would lead toforeclosureif not settled. Meanwhile, oil has been discovered on their land, and Toby is determined to ensure a comfortable life for his two estranged sons.

TwoTexas Rangers,Marcus Hamilton and Alberto Parker, are assigned to the case. Hamilton, who is close to retirement, investigates the robberies and quickly determines the robbers' methods and personalities. Meanwhile, Tanner robs another bank, unbeknownst to Toby who sits at a nearby diner. They bury the getaway cars after each robbery. They thenlaunderthe stolen money inOklahomaat anIndian casino,where Toby has the casino convert their "winnings" into a check made out to the Texas Midlands Bank. With untraceable funds, the brothers head back to Texas.

After staking out another branch of the Texas Midlands Bank without success, Hamilton figures a pattern to the bank robberies. Determining the next target, he and Parker head there. Pressed for time, the brothers proceed despite the bank being crowded. A shootout ensues with a security guard and an armed civilian; Tanner kills both of them. During the escape, Toby is shot in the back by an armed posse of locals.

The brothers race out of town with the posse in pursuit. Tanner drives them back with anautomatic rifle.The brothers split up; Toby takes the money using another vehicle, while Tanner acts as bait. He draws law enforcement and the posse to a desert mountain ridge where he takes potshots at officers with a hunting rifle, killing Parker in the process. Distraught, Hamilton uses a local's knowledge of the area to circle behind Tanner and fatally shoot him.

Meanwhile, Toby passes through a police checkpoint without incident. He launders the stolen cash at a casino, where he sees the news report of his brother's death. He takes the casino's check to the bank just in time to avoid the ranch's foreclosure and deeds the ranch into afamily trust.

Following his retirement, Hamilton visits his former office and learns that Toby has been cleared as a suspect, as he has no criminal record nor motive, as his new oil wells earn more in a month than the total stolen in all of the robberies together. The money from the ranch's oil wells is deposited at the Texas Midlands Bank, which refuses to cooperate with the investigation for fear of losing management of the family's trust fund. Despite the lack of evidence, Hamilton remains certain that Toby was the mastermind.

Hamilton confronts Toby at the ranch and demands to know the reason behind the robberies. Toby explains that he has resolved to not let poverty affect his sons as it did Tanner and him. Hamilton tells Toby he holds him responsible for the death of Parker. They are interrupted when Toby's ex-wife and children arrive, revealing that Toby gave the ranch to his children rather than keep it for himself. As Hamilton departs, Toby suggests they meet again soon to "finish the conversation" and Hamilton agrees.[3]

Cast[edit]

Production[edit]

Development and casting[edit]

On April 18, 2012,Deadlinereported thatSidney Kimmel Entertainment(SKE) had acquired the heist filmComancheria,written by Taylor Sheridan, which SKE would finance and produce withPeter Bergof Film 44.[4]It is the second installment of Sheridan's trilogy of "the modern-day American frontier".[5]At Cinemacon 2016 in Las Vegas, a standee was presented for the film, revealing that the title had been changed toHell or High Water.[6]Berg was potentially attached to direct the film. Endgame Entertainment andFocus Featureswere also among the studios bidding for the project against SKE.[4]The script won the bestBlack Listscript in 2012.[7]On April 2, 2015, Jeff Bridges was announced to be set to star, while Chris Pine and Ben Foster were also in talks to join, andDavid Mackenziewas set to direct the film.[8]On May 4, 2015, Pine and Foster were confirmed to play brothers in the film, who commit bank robberies to save their family's farm in West Texas, while Bridges would play a Texas Ranger set to catch the brothers.[9]CBS Filmsacquired the US rights to the film, which was produced bySidney Kimmelof Sidney Kimmel Entertainment,Peter Bergof Film 44,Carla Hackenof SKE, andJulie Yornof LBI, withGigi Pritzker,Bill Lischak, Michael Nathanson, Rachel Shane, John Penotti, Bruce Toll and Braden Aftergood as executive producers.[10][9]Sidney Kimmel Entertainment developed the project with Film 44, andOddLot Entertainmentco-produced and co-finance the film along with SKE.[11]

Filming[edit]

Scenes were shot in Estancia (Torrence County) Alamogordo Valley,Eastern New Mexico.

Although the film's plot takes place in West Texas and Oklahoma, filming took place ineastern New Mexico.Principal photographyon the film began on May 26, 2015, inClovis, New Mexico.[12][10]Filming also took place in other New Mexico communities such asPortalesandTucumcari.[13][14][15]Some rural scenes were filmed in the vast and sparsely populated ranch country ofQuayandGuadalupeCounties of New Mexico, including scenic shots of Alamogordo Valley south of Luciano Mesa. Filming wrapped on July 8, 2015.[16]

Music[edit]

Main article:Hell or High Water (soundtrack)

Release[edit]

Hell or High Waterpremiered at the69th Cannes Film Festivalon May 16, 2016. It began a limited release on August 12, 2016, in the United States, followed by an expansion on August 19, and a wide release on August 26. The film opened in the UK and Ireland on September 9, and in New Zealand on October 21, 2016.

Reception[edit]

Box office[edit]

Hell or High Watergrossed $27 million in the United States and Canada and $10.9 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $37.9 million, against a production budget of $12 million.[2]

In North America, the film grossed $621,329 from 32 theaters in its opening weekend, for a $19,417 per theater average.[17]The following weekend,Hell or High Waterexpanded to 472 theaters, grossing $2.7 million (a per theater average of $5,709).[18]The film began its wide release at 909 theaters on August 26, and grossed $3.7 million over the weekend, finishing 12th at the box office.[19]

Critical response[edit]

Jeff Bridges' performance garnered critical acclaim and he was nominated for theAcademy AwardforBest Supporting Actor.

Hell or High Waterwas praised for revitalizing the Western genre.[20]OnRotten Tomatoes,the film has an approval rating of 97% based on 288 reviews, with an average rating of 8.50/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Hell or High Wateroffers a solidly crafted, well-acted Western heist thriller that eschews mindless gunplay in favor of confident pacing and full-bodied characters. "[21]OnMetacritic,the film has a score of 88 out of 100, based on reviews from 47 critics.[22]Audiences polled byCinemaScoregave the film an average grade of "A−" on an A+ to F scale.[17]

Richard Roeperof theChicago Sun Timesgave the film four out of four, saying, "In ways large and small,Hell or High Wateris a movie so beautiful and harsh and elegiac and knowing, the moment it was over was the moment I wanted to see it again. "[23]IGNreviewer Samantha Ladwig gave the film nine out of ten, saying "Hell or High Watersurprises with its complex narrative, stuns with its cinematography, and makes up for this summer's shortcomings. "[24]Tom Stempel ofCreative ScreenwritingpraisedHell or High Wateras "a fresh, smart, bank robbery-character study and one of the best screenplays so far this year".[25]

Accolades[edit]

Main article:List of accolades received by Hell or High Water

Hell or High Waterreceived four nominations at theAcademy Awards,includingBest Picture,Best Supporting Actorfor Bridges,Best Original ScreenplayandBest Film Editing.

References[edit]

  1. ^"Hell Or High Water".British Board of Film Classification.2016.Archivedfrom the original on October 15, 2021.RetrievedOctober 15,2021.
  2. ^abc"Hell or High Water".Box Office Mojo.IMDb.Archivedfrom the original on August 2, 2018.RetrievedMay 29,2017.
  3. ^Sullivan, Kevin P. (February 16, 2017)."Hell or High Water writer explains the film's ambiguous ending".EW.Archivedfrom the original on December 1, 2020.RetrievedFebruary 19,2019.I just thought that for either one of them to die was letting them off easy. There was a certain amount of suffering that they both deserved to endure.
  4. ^abFleming, Mike Jr. (April 18, 2012)."Ex-'Sons Of Anarchy' Actor Taylor Sheridan Sells Script To Sidney Kimmel Entertainment".Deadline Hollywood.Penske Business Media.Archivedfrom the original on June 2, 2015.RetrievedJune 2,2015.
  5. ^Thompson, Anne (June 21, 2018)."'Sicario: Day of the Soldado': Benicio Del Toro Says It's Better Than The Doors' First Album ".IndieWire.Archivedfrom the original on August 30, 2018.RetrievedAugust 30,2018.
  6. ^NM Film News (May 4, 2016)."Comancheria turned" Hell or High Water "".NM Film News.OneHeadlightInk.Archivedfrom the original on June 23, 2018.RetrievedJune 22,2018.
  7. ^Finke, Nikki (December 17, 2012)."The Black List 2012: Screenplay Roster".Deadline Hollywood.Penske Business Media.Archivedfrom the original on June 26, 2015.RetrievedJune 2,2015.
  8. ^Jaafar, Ali (April 2, 2015)."Jeff Bridges To Star In David Mackenzie's 'Comancheria'; Chris Pine, Ben Foster Circling".Deadline Hollywood.Penske Business Media.Archivedfrom the original on April 29, 2015.RetrievedApril 27,2015.
  9. ^abFord, Rebecca (May 4, 2015)."Cannes: CBS Films Picks Up Chris Pine Action Movie 'Comancheria' for U.S."The Hollywood Reporter.Archivedfrom the original on June 2, 2015.RetrievedJune 2,2015.
  10. ^abFleming, Mike Jr. (May 4, 2015)."'Comancheria' With Chris Pine, Ben Foster & Jeff Bridges Acquired By CBS Films ".Deadline Hollywood.Penske Business Media.Archivedfrom the original on October 1, 2022.RetrievedJune 2,2015.
  11. ^Gleiberman, Owen (May 16, 2016)."Cannes Film Review: 'Hell or High Water'".Variety.Penske Business Media.Archivedfrom the original on August 16, 2016.RetrievedAugust 15,2016.
  12. ^Panosian, Diane (June 1, 2015)."On the Set for 6/1/15: James Gunn Starts Shooting 'The Belko Experiment', Michael Keaton Begins Mcdonald's Biopic 'The Founder' & More".SSN Insider.Archived fromthe originalon September 8, 2015.RetrievedJune 1,2015.
  13. ^Garcia, Thomas (June 10, 2015)."Hollywood comes to Tucumcari".Albuquerque Journal.Archivedfrom the original on March 20, 2018.RetrievedMarch 19,2018.
  14. ^"Hollywood comes to Tucumcari".News OK.Associated Press. June 3, 2015.RetrievedMarch 19,2018.
  15. ^Buzek, Aubry (May 23, 2015)."Lights, camera, 'Comancheria'".The Eastern New Mexico News.Archivedfrom the original on March 20, 2018.RetrievedMay 16,2016.
  16. ^McDonald, Adrian (June 2017)."2016 Feature Film Study"(PDF).Film L.A.Archived(PDF)from the original on July 31, 2017.RetrievedJune 14,2018.
  17. ^abBrooks, Brian (August 14, 2016)."'Hell Or High Water' Hits The Mark In Debut; 'Don't Think Twice' Solid In Expansion: Specialty Box Office ".Deadline Hollywood.Penske Business Media.Archivedfrom the original on August 17, 2016.RetrievedAugust 18,2016.
  18. ^D'Alessandro, Anthony (August 22, 2016)."The Perils Of Remakes Like 'Ben-Hur' As Moviegoers Continue To Worship 'Suicide Squad' – Monday Final B.O."Deadline Hollywood.Penske Business Media.Archivedfrom the original on August 22, 2016.RetrievedJune 22,2018.
  19. ^D'Alessandro, Anthony (August 28, 2016)."'Don't Breathe' Screams $26M+, Gives Sony 3rd Summer Cash Cow After 'Sausage Party', 'Shallows': Sunday Update ".Deadline Hollywood.Penske Business Media.Archivedfrom the original on August 27, 2016.RetrievedAugust 28,2016.
  20. ^D'Alessandro, Anthony (May 19, 2016)."'Hell Or High Water' Breaks Out On Croisette; Director David Mackenzie On Capturing "The Loss Of The Old West" – Cannes ".Deadline Hollywood.Penske Business Media.Archivedfrom the original on September 4, 2016.RetrievedAugust 28,2016.
  21. ^"Hell or High Water (2016)".Rotten Tomatoes.Fandango Media.Archivedfrom the original on December 21, 2016.RetrievedOctober 23,2021.
  22. ^"Hell or High Water Reviews".Metacritic.CBS Interactive.Archivedfrom the original on August 30, 2016.RetrievedSeptember 2,2016.
  23. ^Roeper, Richard (August 11, 2016)."Hell or High Water: Modern western the year's best film so far".Chicago Sun Times.Archivedfrom the original on December 18, 2016.RetrievedSeptember 3,2016.
  24. ^Ladwig, Samantha (August 14, 2016)."Hell or High Water Review".IGN.Ziff Davis.Archivedfrom the original on August 18, 2016.RetrievedAugust 20,2016.
  25. ^Stempel, Tom (September 1, 2016)."Understanding Screenwriting #148".Creative Screenwriting.Archivedfrom the original on February 15, 2017.RetrievedSeptember 6,2016.

External links[edit]

Wikiquote has quotations related toHell or High Water (film).
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hell_or_High_Water_(film)&oldid=1224286190"