The Harder They Fall (2021)

Average But Bloody Revenge Western - The Harder They Fall review by GI

A gonzo revenge western that is heavily influenced by Tarantino with added dashes of Leone and John Sturges, blood spattering galore resulting in this being more cartoon than genre. It has its moments but overall adds nothing that you haven't seen before and in fact lacks a witty enough script to balance out all the gore. Interestingly the characters are all based on real people who lived in the old west but the events of the film are entirely fictitious. Essentially it's two gangs of gunfighters who are out to kill each other. Jonathan Majors plays Nat Love who leads one gang and are sort of the good guys. He's out for revenge for the murder of his parents by Rufus Buck (Idris Elba). Buck's gang are much more ruthless and includes a cold blooded Regina King. The story does some crazy things and there's heaps of nasty violence and the odd laugh (one of the gangs robs a 'white' town which is literally all white). The film has energy and a garish look but it's too long and the final bloody climax is a bit underwhelming.