An action western about a farmer who takes in an injured man with a satchel of cash. When a posse comes for the money, he must decide who to trust. Defending a siege, he reveals a gunslinging talent calling his true identity into question.
Chuck says:
Tim Blake Nelson has always been an intriguing actor, one who’s not afraid to take on off-beat roles, having the ability to make his characters stand out, even in the smallest of parts. In Old Henry, he gets the lead and runs with it. As a farmer early 1900’s Oklahoma, he’s a widower who simply wants to raise his teenage son (Gavin Lewis) in peace. However, their quiet life is disrupted when he finds a bloodied, unconscious rider with a satchel full of money on the outskirts of his property. His first mistake is taking the stranger in, as a sheriff and his two deputies soon show up on his doorstep, wondering if Henry has seen the bank robber they’re looking for. That he denies his guest’s presence is a huge mistake.
Derivative in nature and a bit meandering, the film rights itself with a third act surprise that forces us to reevaluate all we’ve seen before, casting the contentious father-son relationship and Henry’s solitary existence in a different light. The more you know about the Old West, the more you’ll appreciate what this sleeper has to offer.
3 Stars
