The Highwaymen Movie Review

The Highwaymen is a 2019 period crime thriller on the crimes of the infamous Bonnie and Clyde. Directed by John Lee Hancock John Lee Hancock, Jr. is an American writer, direc >> Read More... on the script of John Fusco, the film stars Kevin Costner He is one of the most seasoned stars in Hollywood >> Read More... and Woody Harrelson Woody Harrelson is an American activist and a popu >> Read More... as the lead in the roles of Frank Hamer and Maney Gault, two former Texas rangers. Kathy Bates Kathy Bates is a prominent American actress and fi >> Read More... , John Caroll Lynch, Kim Dickens, Thomas Mann, and William Sadler play the rest of the lead roles. Produced by Casey Silver, the film has been in development for a while. John Schwartzman handled the cinematography with timely music and background scores by Thomas Newman. Robert Frazen headed the editing department, and produced under the banner of Casey Silver Productions, with the online distribution handled by Netflix.

Plot

The film focuses on the old crime saga of Bonnie and Clyde and two former Texas rangers trying to hunt them down. The film portrays the slow journey of Frank Hamer and Maney Gaults toward the two infamous criminals in their old-fashioned yet effective ways. Their journey follows the chaos left behind by the two over the country and explores the change in technological background and how the two veterans come to terms with it.

Star Performance

Kevin Costner and Woody Harrelson fill the screen with their charisma and old-school, macho charm. Every single scene is made lively by the presence of those two. Also, the appearance of legendary actor William Sadler makes the picture even more colorful. Kathy Bates, as the Texas Governor, handles her role exceptionally, as always.

Analysis

John Lee Hancock focuses more on the sides of law enforcement in this slow-paced predictable thriller. Throughout the film, John Lee Hancock never shows the faces of Bonnie and Clyde, not even for a single scene. Most of the shots are distant or blurry, or shadowy. John Lee Hancock uses this secretiveness to portray them as cold-blooded monsters to the audience, along with the advent of the modern era of violence. Additionally, the director focuses more on the backdrop and lives of the two criminals, depicting their family and their take on the scenarios. The film justifies the actions of the law officers to apprehend the two criminals by all means necessary, thus giving out reasons for their every act. Hamer and Gault stick to the old-fashioned way of investigation, taking the film through a slow roll, exploring their journey following the trail. Kevin Costner and Woody Harrelson do 100% justice to their characters and express every emotion and sense of duty that they feel clearly to the audience. The film showcases people’s morality against such ruthless killers, and the justifications and moral reasoning laid out by the officers to the sympathizers. Predictability becomes an issue as the audience knows how it is going to end for the criminals. Since the movie follows the veteran way of investigation, some viewers may feel a lag at times and the repetition of scenes. Overall, the movie fills the screen with the charisma of the two lead actors and will excite all those who love a good old slow-burning American crime thriller.

What’s There?

• Old-fashioned crime investigation by two ever-golden Cowboys
• Action and thrilling chase sequence
• Moral conflicts and the reality of such situations
• Bright performances by all the stars

What’s Not There?

• Absence of nail-biting twists and turns.
• Bonnie and Clyde’s side of the story is absent

Verdict 

In contrast to its predecessor, released 20 years before, the Highwaymen focuses purely on the enforcement side of the story and ultimately describes Bonnie and Clyde as cold-blooded criminals. The director uses his freedom of creation to depict the horror they havocked in the country, making it necessary to put an end to them. All these points toward a justification for all the actions taken by the two rangers in the hunt. The movie although lagging at times, keep the audience engaged by the screen presence and charm of Kevin and Woody.