The Mosley Review: The Harder They Fall
Who says westerns can't be fun?! There seems to be this constant narrative that all westerns should be super serious, long drawn out and heavily dramatic. Yes, westerns are mostly known for their showcase of living on the Great Plains and tales of legendary gunslingers, but the history of this film genre has almost been completely forgotten. Westerns were the original genre benders before there even was the MCU or DCEU. You had your historically accurate stories, comedies, romantic comedies and of course the action thrillers. I am so happy that finally a western comes along that highlights what we all love in an action western. Its got a unique visual style while staying traditional, great comedic moments, great action and a story that is good and fun. Ever since 1993's Posse, we haven't had a full and strong black cast in a western that wasn't stereotypical and I'm glad that it has finally come back with such flare.
The cast across the board are fantastic and play real people even if the story is very stylized. Johnathan Majors was truly charming and fun as Nat Love. He may be a man on a simple revenge mission, but his conviction and emotional journey was fun to watch. Zazie Beets was strong and cool as Stagecoach Mary. She represents that strong independent woman with a heart of gold that you never want to break. I liked the chemistry between her and Nat as they reconnect in a steamy scene. Zazie handles the action extremely well in this film and better than most. Danielle Deadwyler was excellent as her head of saloon security Cuffee. She was tough and she gets many great moments to shine. Edi Gathegi was cool as Bill Pickett and I thought he was great as the somewhat level headed character in the gang. RJ Cyler chews up the scenery as Jim Beckwourth. He may be the hotshot quick draw kid of the gang, but he is one of the most loveable. The comedic chemistry between him and Pickett was truly a highlight and you felt their strong friendship. Delroy Lindo always represents the pillar of wisdom and order and he was no different as Marshal Bass Reeves. He may be the law in the region, but he even values a good ally when facing true evil. As the historically accurate first black Marshal, he carries that history with grace and an iron fist. Deon Cole was good and flawed as Wiley Escoe. He was perfectly slimy and enduring as the town's owner and I liked the history he had with the main villain.
The rival gang in the film was so well casts, that I almost enjoyed them more than the heroes of the story. Regina King was dangerous and intense as Trudy Smith. She commands the room with just a look and you have no idea what she's about to do next. She may be the right hand of the main villain, but to me she was the coldest. Lakeith Stanfield was outstanding and slick as Cherokee Bill. I couldn't keep my eyes off of him and I held on to every quip or anecdote he had in every scene. He was so magnetic in even the more tension filled scenes and surprisingly great at dark humor. To me he nearly stole the film from everyone. Idris Elba was great and brutal as the main villain of the film, Rufus Buck. He was rotten to his core, but there was a heavy burden that he was holding on to throughout the film. He wasn't the standard one dimensional villain and I loved the layers that get peeled back later on.
The score by Jeymes Samuel was fantastic and captured that classic sound with a little bit of flare in the action and warmth in the emotional scenes. The soundtrack is the real driving force and energy of the film as it keeps you bopping your head during each transition. There are so many great songs written and produced Jay-Z and others. My favorite 2 are Guns Go Bang and Blackskin Mile. Both are epic in their own ways and kick in at the perfect moments. Visually this film was stunning as the cinematography truly highlights the characters in some amazing shots. If you're a western purist and want a accurate telling of all these characters' stories, then this film isn't for you. If you're looking for a fun western that has an amazing cast that is just silky smooth all around, then this is your jam. I loved this film and its definitely one of my favorites of the year. The Netflix Original film is currently streaming. Let me know what you thought of the film or my review in the comments below. Thanks for reading!
