Hell or High Water (2016)

A divorced father and his ex-con older brother resort to a desperate scheme in order to save their family's ranch in West Texas.

Director:

David Mackenzie

Writer:

Taylor Sheridan

Stars:

Chris Pine, Ben Foster, Jeff Bridges

Nominated for 4 Oscars. Another 48 wins & 165 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Dale Dickey	...	Elsie
Ben Foster	...	Tanner Howard
Chris Pine	...	Toby Howard
William Sterchi	...	Mr. Clauson
Buck Taylor	...	Old Man
Kristin K. Berg	...	Olney Teller (as Kristin Berg)
Jeff Bridges	...	Marcus Hamilton
Gil Birmingham	...	Alberto Parker
Keith Meriweather	...	Rancher
Jackamoe Buzzell	...	Archer City Deputy
Katy Mixon	...	Jenny Ann
Amber Midthunder	...	Vernon Teller
Joe Berryman	...	Bank Manager
Taylor Sheridan	...	Cowboy
Howard Ferguson Jr.	...	Vernon PD Officer (as Howard S. Ferguson Jr.)

Storyline

In Texas, after the death of his mother, the unemployed oil and gas worker Toby Howard is losing his ranch to the Texas Midlands Bank. Toby is divorced from his wife who lives with their two sons. When his brother Tanner Howard is released from the prison, they team up to rob agencies of the Texas Midlands Bank to raise money to pay the loan so that Toby may leave the real estate to his sons. Meanwhile the Texas Ranger Marcus Hamilton who is near retirement and his Native American-descendant partner Alberto Parker try to anticipate the next move of the thieves.

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Plot Keywords:

texas | bank robber | brother brother relationship | armed robbery | bank robbery | 

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Taglines:

Justice isn't a crime.

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Genres:

Action | Crime | Drama | Thriller | Western

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for some strong violence, language throughout and brief sexuality

Did You Know?

Trivia

Parts of Comancheria (the film's original title) were filmed in Clovis, NM, with residents of the city being used as extras.

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Goofs

When Hamilton pulls up to the Archer City bank, he is told among the things taken was money from the cash drawer. But, that bank hadn't opened yet and they were told there was no money in the cash drawers and, upon inspection, found that to be true. So no money was taken from the cash drawer at Archer City.

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Quotes

Archer City Deputy: Tweakers, maybe?
Alberto Parker: Maybe.
Marcus Hamilton: A little early in the morning for tweakers.
Alberto Parker: Tweakers don't sleep. They just tweak.

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Connections

Featured in Hell or High Water: Red Carpet Premiere (2016)

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Soundtracks

Outlaw State of Mind
Written by Chris Stapleton (as Christopher Stapleton), Ronnie Bowman and Jerry Salley
Performed by Chris Stapleton
Courtesy of Mercury Nashville Records
Under license from Universal Music Enterprises

User Reviews

A Tale of Cops N' Robbers at its Finest

The first time I watched this, I turned it off at about the 5-minute mark. I thought it was another dumb movie about inept country-bumpkins, which would rely on a mixture of slapstick and overly-done sappy and violent scenes in order to create enough of a pull to keep at least some audience members somewhat entertained.

How wrong I was.

I finally sat down and watched it with friends who insisted it was not what it appeared to be within the first few minutes of the film.

Without giving too much away, and having to use a spoiler tag, Hell or High Water is a story about two brothers who after the death of their mother, organize a series of (justified?) bank robberies. What ensues is a catch-me-if-you-can scenario with the pursuing "law" hell-bent on catching them, and them hell-bent on not being caught. In short, it is a typical story of cops and robbers (or so you would think), with an atypical, uncommon and unconventional narrative.

Given the plot, the remote setting and the almost nostalgic atmosphere and ambiance of the film, it is honestly a miracle, and more than a pleasant surprise, just how very gratifying and outstanding this film actually is.

A definite must-watch.

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Page Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

26 August 2016 (USA)

Also Known As:

Comancheria

Filming Locations:

Clovis, New Mexico, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$12,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$621,329, 14 August 2016

Gross USA:

$27,007,844

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$37,879,877

Company Credits

Production Co:

CBS Films, Sidney Kimmel Entertainment, MWM Studios

Technical Specs

Runtime:

102 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1