The Harder They Fall (2021, R)

When I was writing my personal Oscar nominations post yesterday, I realized I hadn’t had time to post a review of this movie before the nominations came out and it became All Oscars All the Time. I still haven’t gotten around to some of the other films that were in the Oscar conversation prior to the nominations, like The Last Duel and Passing, but this is one I did get a chance to see. Since I’ve finished my Oscar-movie reviews and have one available post left before I write about the ceremony, I figured I’d better seize my opportunity to talk about this excellent film.

Nat Love has an old score to settle with Rufus Buck. When he learns that his enemy is getting out of prison, Nat rallies his gang to challenge Buck’s crew and get his revenge. The two groups of outlaws wage war, and it remains to be seen who will be left standing when the bullets stop flying.

Ever since I learned the historical factoid that over a quarter of cowboys in the Old West were Black or Latino, I’ve had a near evangelical zeal to tell people about it and side-eye lily-white Westerns (looking at you, Power of the Dog!) As such, I love that this is a Western where all the major players—outlaws, saloon owners, and lawmen alike—are played by Black actors. These characters’ races aren’t merely incidental, and there are a number of Black cultural references peppered throughout the film, but it’s not a story about race. Rather, it’s a classic Western revenge tale, wherein Black characters are given the chance to inhabit the full range of Western archetypes and conventions. (Side note: while the story is fictional, all or most of the characters are based on real-life Black outlaws/marshals/etc., which is neat.)

Besides that, it’s just a fun, cool movie. Western isn’t a go-to genre for me, but I have enjoyed the different films I’ve taken the time to see, and The Harder They Fall fits in well with that. The story is pretty standard, featuring rival gangs of outlaws, shootouts, robberies, saloon fights, and more—everything you’d typically expect from a Western. Director/co-writer Jeymes Samuel lends a stylish eye to this bloody brawl, and the whole thing is just swathed in layer upon layer of cool. The costumes look great, the dialogue crackles, and the anachronistic music choices are interesting and add greatly to the vibe of the film.

The first time I saw the trailer for The Harder They Fall, I wondered if it was possible to have a crush on a movie. That was for the coolness and the aesthetic, yes, but also the cast. The glorious cast. At the center of the film are Jonathan Majors and Idris Elba as Nat Love and Rufus Buck, both of whom light up the screen. They’re backed up by the likes of Lakeith Stanfield, Regina King, Edi Gathegi, Zazie Beetz, and Damon Wayans Jr. I’m not familiar with Danielle Deadwyler, but she makes a big impression too as Cuffee from Nat’s crew. And we’re not even done yet! The film also features Deon Cole (Dave from Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts!) and Delroy Lindo, awesomely, as the one and only Bass Reeves. Everyone is completely on their game, tearing it up from start to finish.

Warnings

Tons of graphic violence, language, sexual content, drinking/smoking/drug use, and thematic elements.