Westerns, by nature, usually find themselves set in isolated parts of the United States with a limited cast and set that allows dialogue to do the heavy lifting as much as the characters speaking those lines. With any luck, a talented group of actors will help to elevate both elements to a level beyond what could be considered a stage play with cowboy hats and revolvers. When this feat is achieved, the results can often be excellent, ranging from the legendary Clint Eastwood’s genre-defining “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly” and “Unforgiven,” as well as more recent entries such as Quentin Tarantino’s “Django Unchained” and “The Hateful Eight.” 

READ MORE: The 25 Best Westerns Of All Time

Somewhere in the middle of the graph of quality sits “Surrounded,” the newest addition to the genre, fulfilling the requirements mentioned above to a T, as if someone in the editing room was running through a list as the final cut played out before them; Vast, rural landscapes?

Continue reading ‘Surrounded’ Review: Good Performances From Letitia Wright & Jamie Bell Can’t Help This Dull Western at The Playlist.

After declaring he was done with action movies back in 2017, they are pulling Liam Neeson back into putting his particular set of skills (punching people in the face) to good use again. This time it’s for the upcoming action thriller “Honest Thief,” where Neeson plays a former thief with the ridiculous name of the “In and Out Bandit,” who is forced to return to doing what he does best (sounds familiar).

Continue reading ‘Honest Thief’ Trailer: Liam Neeson Is Putting His Particular Set Of Skills To Use Once Again at The Playlist.

“Bonnie And Clyde” and lovers on the lam narratives never cease to compel and fascinate us, perhaps because doing something naughty, illegal or perverse in the name of love is strangely really f*cking romantic. There’s a propulsion—the “on the run” side of things—that usually drives these tales, but when you ground it to a halt with a one-location detour, and add an equally transgressive romantic pair to the mix you can get some surprisingly interesting results.

Continue reading ‘Villains’ Examines The Twisted Lengths Couples Will Go For Love [SXSW Review] at The Playlist.

Review: Solid Zombie Survival Flick 'Extinction' Starring Matthew Fox And Jeffrey Donovan

Continue reading Review: Solid Zombie Survival Flick ‘Extinction’ Starring Matthew Fox And Jeffrey Donovan at The Playlist.

Continue reading Watch: Funky, Funny, Full Trailer For ‘Fargo’ Season 2 at The Playlist.

Natalie Portman Passes On Steve Jobs Biopic; Jennifer Lawrence Finds A Husband For David O. Russell's 'Joy' & More

Continue reading Natalie Portman Passes On Steve Jobs Biopic; Jennifer Lawrence Finds A Husband For David O. Russell’s ‘Joy’ & More at The Playlist.

Continue reading ‘Burn Notice’ Star Jeffrey Donovan Will Play Bobby Kennedy In Clint Eastwood’s ‘J. Edgar’ at The Playlist.

Eastwood can make these pictures in his sleep at this point and he does, having essentially made the exact same mood and manner of drama about four or five times in a row now.

Continue reading More On Eastwood’s Stock Drama, Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-‘Changeling’ at The Playlist.