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 46 wins & 167 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 | texas ranger | bank robber | native american | brother brother relationship | 

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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

The phrase "come hell or high water" typically means "do whatever needs to be done, no matter the circumstances". It also refers to the "hell or high water clause" in a contract, usually a lease, which states that the payments must continue regardless of any difficulties the paying party may encounter. Both definitions apply to different parts of the plot in this movie.

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Goofs

Tanner fires the AR-15 right-handed but shoots the telescopic rifle from the hilltop left-handed. While it's possible he is able to shoot with either hand or is completely ambidextrous, that information isn't explained, insinuated or shown in other scenes.

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Quotes

Tanner Howard: The women in this place.
Toby Howard: [Looks around the bar and sees several middle-aged women] What the hell you talkin' about?
Tanner Howard: We should get another shot. They'll be pretty soon enough.

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Connections

Referenced in Mike & Mike: Episode dated 24 January 2017 (2017)

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Soundtracks

Dollar Bill Blues
Written & Performed by Townes van Zandt (as Townes Van Zandt)
Courtesy of RCA Records Nashville
By Arrangement with Sony Music Licensing

User Reviews

An Acting Clinic ... and a Great Film

Jeff Bridges and Chris Pine put on an acting clinic.

Bridges at 66 has enough swagger, 'tude and testosterone to be an action figure.

Pine, always reliable as a A-lister, takes his craft to a whole new level. He is as far from Captain Kirk as the earth is from the moon. Superb work. And unforgettable.

The script is to die for. Intelligent to a degree that makes you wonder aloud how the constant stream of B and C movies out of Hollywood ever get funded. Solid from the first line of dialog to the last.

West Texas is the unbilled co-star. You feel like you are there.

One of the best releases of the year.

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