Genre: Drama/ Crime
Runtime: 132 minutes
Year: 2019
Starring: Kevin Costner, Woody Harrelson, Kathy Bates, John Carroll Lynch, William Sadler, Kim Dickens
Description: A pair of Texas Rangers (Kevin Costner, Woody Harrelson) come out of retirement to catch the infamous outlaws Bonnie and Clyde.
Review: Former Texas Rangers Frank Hamer and Benjamin Maney Gault return from retirement to end the criminal duo Bonnie and Clyde.
Director John Lee Hancock has some historical dramas on his resumé, like “Saving Mr. Banks” and “The Founder”. In “The Highwaymen” he went into a different direction. It’s the tale of two heroes hunting for the world’s most infamous criminal duo.
The film’s strength is its depiction of the 1930s. Hamer and Gault are trying to fight their way though the country where, due to the economic crisis, the citizens have become more fond of murdering outlaws than the actual law.
How both characters respond to everything around them is very different. In this contrast we see the true characters.
“The Highwaymen” is not an action/ chase movie. Its power is set in the silent moments, where Kevin Costner and Woody Harrelson get the chance to translate the historical story into words, facial expressions and motion. Both actors are definite favorites of mine and are excellent in this film.
We are actually missing Bonnie and Clyde here, but it was a conscious choise of Hancock to give them almost no screen time. The consequences of their actions, the search for them and the men hunting them are the focus of the story. And this makes “The Highwaymen” into a melancholic film experience.
Rating: 4/ 5
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