A new Benedict Cumberbatch feature is more than enough for me to check this out.
With the addition of this being a Western, I was up for this, as it feels more like a treat seeing a Western on the big screen these days.
Whilst getting used to the chosen accent by Cumberbatch, I was also taking far too long to work out the situation our characters were in. It had a bit of a 'stop-start' quality to it in the editing, which was a bit frustrating.
Once it settled itself down, I got too appreciate the vast New Zealand landscapes (portraying as Montana) as well as solid performances.
As we headed towards the end, I did feel something was missing as the story was moving at a pedestrian pace whilst having an underlying layer of that something bad was going to happen.
I was right in the end with an effective twist. But it also felt rushed, and you're not paying attention you could miss it.
Cumberbatch is as intense as ever and changes the mood of the scene every time he appears.
Supporting well was a wholesome Jesse Plemons, Kirsten Dunst rolling back the years and Kodi Smit-McPhee who showed great innocence.
As mentioned, the locations are a character in itself. You can feel the seasons change in the characters behaviour. The costumes are on point and the score by Jonny Greenwood fitted the time whilst giving his signature stumbling style to hint at the unstable mood in the air.
In the end, I thought this was an effective slow-burn thanks helped by that final scene twist.
It's not quite as impactful as I hoped it would be. So I can see others being disappointed or impatient by it. But I still enjoyed it up to a point.
Rating: 7/10
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