They Harder They Fall (2021)

The Harder They Fall (2021)

 

6/10 

Starring

Jonathan Majors

Idris Elba

Zazie Beetz

Regina King

Delroy Lindo

 

Directed by Jeymes Samuel

 

I enjoyed seeing this movie—the surprise ending is the best part of it, and the build-up to it was decent. I liked the acting—each character leaves a memorable impression, and they depict a wide range of emotions. The story is something you’ve seen before, but the energy and drive of the movie make you want to sit through it.

When it comes to putting a movie like this together, one of the coolest things needed to make it all work is a soundtrack that makes each moment memorable—and this movie delivers on that. The setting and atmosphere are captivating. You’ll notice and appreciate how they splice modern elements into the traditional cowboy gear, despite the movie being set in the 19th century.

The movie follows an old template to build its world, with the main premise being revenge. It starts with a ten-year-old boy witnessing the brutal murder of his parents. The killer scars him for life by carving a cross on his forehead. The boy grows into a man (Nat) and sets out on a path of revenge against the man (Rufus) who shattered his life. Rufus is an outlaw whose crimes landed him in prison for some time. He gets out thanks to a pardon and returns to a town (Redwood) now run by one of his former gang members.

Rufus learns that his gang was robbed of $25,000 by none other than Nat. Fueled by his desire for revenge, Nat assembles his own gang of outlaws to infiltrate Redwood and kill Rufus. Nat’s love interest, Field, suggests scouting the town first, but the plan backfires when Rufus takes her hostage.

To secure Field’s release, Rufus demands that Nat return the stolen money—plus an additional $10,000. This means Nat and his gang must rob a bank to raise the money. However, they face a harsh reality: no local bank has that kind of cash. Even if they manage to get the money, there’s no guarantee Rufus will let Field go.

You’ll have to watch the movie to see how they handle this high-stakes situation, where revenge and the need to save a loved one cross.

The characters in the movie were inspired by real-life figures from the 19th century, even though the plot itself is fictional.

Good fun movie to watch, and I highly recommend it. You can catch this movie on Netflix right now.