Netflix has done it again with “The Harder They Fall,” an original Western that was executed perfectly with the ideal cast, dry humor and plenty of twists and action.
A fictional story based on real people, the movie follows Nat Love (Jonathan Majors, “Lovecraft County”) on his quest for revenge against the infamous Rufus Buck (Idris Elba, “Beasts of No Nation”). Love and his gang, who are known for pillaging and leaving no witnesses, eventually find their way to Buck as he is released from prison to end their mission once and for all, only for their plan to go awry.
Love’s group is made up of sharpshooter Jim Beckwourth (RJ Cyler, “Power Rangers”) and his friend Bill Pickett (Edi Gathegi, “Princess of the Row”), until they are joined in their fight against Buck by his former love Mary Fields (Zazie Beetz, “Deadpool 2”) and the rouge Cuffee (Danielle Deadwyler, “The Devil to Pay”). Together they make their way to the town Buck’s gang controls and meet a couple of people along the way willing to help their cause.
After breaking Buck out of jail in the beginning of the film, his partners Trudy Smith (Regina King, “Ray”) and Cherokee Bill (Lakeith Stanfield, “Sorry to Bother You”), who has the fastest trigger in the west, are set out to make back the money Buck has lost when he was caught. The gangs only meet when Love puts his plan into action and the real fight begins.
The casting is perfectly done, as Elba plays the emotionless and ruthless Buck impeccably and makes the audience, though most of his past is never mentioned, fear him just as much as the characters in the movie do. Beetz and King bring the sass and strength to their roles as independent women who can handle anything thrown at them.
Cyler plays into his character’s role as the comic relief with witty tones and jokes that bring the tension back from an otherwise serious and death ridden movie. Deadwyler also is the ideal actress to play Cuffee, as she shows off intense facial expressions and a sharp tone.
The cast is also almost all people of color (POC), with only very minor characters being white. As it is based on real people, the movie shows a different side of the wild west and outlaws without just casting POC to play historically white people.
The film is packed full of action and fight scenes, which use a tasteful amount of blood and gore that is never too much but still gets the point across. Set in the midwest, the movie also utilizes wide camera angles and plays into the beautiful landscape to bring depth and more reality to the plot, as it shows all the characters on horseback or a considerable amount of the runtime. Other creative uses of camera shots make the film stand out compared to other Westerns, as they have duels shown from all angles and a scene in a dye factory where colored strips of fabric change the lighting and shadows to the best degree.
With an all-star cast, amazing sets and fantastic overall composition, “The Harder They Fall” is outstanding in all categories and proves that Netflix originals should not be overlooked.
Image from Netflix via YouTube
