Movie Info
Movie Name: The Highwaymen
Studio: Casey Silver Productions
Genre(s): Drama
Release Date(s): March 10, 2019 (South by Southwest)/March 29, 2019 (US)
MPAA Rating: R
Well Woody, this is turning into a snoozer
Bonnie Parker (Emily Brobst) and Clyde Barrow (Edward Bossert) are on the run. When Miriam “Ma” Ferguson (Kathy Bates) brings an unorthodox approach to capture the criminals, highwaymen Frank Harner (Kevin Costner) and Maney Gault (Woody Harrelson) are brought in to track Bonnie and Clyde. Bonnie and Clyde have become famous and the public is protecting them. Maney and Frank must find a way to end the criminals’ run.
Directed by John Lee Hancock, The Highwaymen is a historic drama about the attempts to bring the famed criminals Bonnie and Clyde to justice. The film premiered at South by Southwest and was released on Netflix on March 29, 2019. It was met with average reviews.
Netflix movies seem to have two veins. There are the great Netflix films like Mudbound and Beasts of No Nation and Netflix films that feel that they are trying to be award winners but miss. The Highwaymen is one of those misses.
Let’s add some action to this crawl
I was kind of excited about the film simply due to the cast. Kevin Costner works in these type of movies, and Woody Harrelson always elevates a movie. While they were classic trope characters for both actors, the acting didn’t really matter because the story was weak.
The movie just plods. It is a shame because often the criminal element is elevated…Bonnie and Clyde are the heroes and victims of a government sting…cultural icons. This movie has the opportunity to turn the tables and present them as criminals (or at least blur the line better). The film is the opportunity for a fresh take on the events, but it feels like rehash that offers nothing new or interesting. The movie is quite dull and feels unbalanced in its storytelling. You are just waiting to get to the deadly showdown.
Dang…killed by a dull film.
The visuals for the movie aren’t too bad. The Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty Bonnie and Clyde film is considered a cinematic classic and mostly due to its stylized violence and grit. This film also a nice look and the dusty, dirty poverty stricken world it visits. The ending is still violent, but the journey seems a bit different.
The Highwaymen was a disappointment. I had hoped for a nice crime thriller that echoed films of the past. It isn’t the fault of the actors or the style of the film, but the familiar story has been told better. Skip The Highwaymen, and just stick with Bonnie and Clyde.
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