Surrounded

No pun intended - and obviously our main character is not alone in the classical sense. There always is at least another person in close proximity. Not that she is happy for anyone being near her ... but that is a different story. Actually it is the same story - and something that plays out quite nicely towards the end.

But let's not get ahead of ourselves. I am a bit of a sucker when it comes to western movies or the genre in general. I really like them - and I also have been accused of rating too good. So I reckon you have to take this into account. But I really liked the female lead here (you may know her from Black Panther or some other stuff she has done over the years), but also the other actors. This may be the last movie Michael K. Williams appeared in - he will be missed.

Good suspense, good shootouts - what more can you want and need? Story is well told too of course.

What's wrong with you people ? Why all the bad reviews?? I found it instead very entertaining, well acted and with a very effective direction. Finally a wonderful and stylish modern western, a tale of suspicion and survival in post civil war New Mexico. Letitia Wright is super cool, Jamie Bell delivers a great performance and it's Michael K. Williams last movie, so what are you waiting for ? The three main characters Mo "Washington", Tommy Walsh and Will Clay have layers of complexity addressing racial and gender inequality, anger, suspicion, trustworthiness and faith that will get out during the memorable stand-off with the notorious outlaw. Despite a low budget and a lot of dialogues that in the central part makes the movie looks like almost as a play, there is a lot of action and firepower that won't disappoint any western fan. The cinematography is superb and the locations are great. It definitely worths to be watched, don't miss it.

In simple but effective 1870-set western "Surrounded" ex slave / buffalo soldier Letitia Wright's headed to Colorado when her stage (with the under-rated Jeffrey Donovan & others) is hit by notorious outlaw Jamie Bell (also under-rated) with whom Wright ends up alone in the wilds, engaging in cat n mouse, joined periodically by dubious folk like Michael Kenneth Williams. Although its writing (from Andrew Pagana & Justin Thomas) is unexceptional, it's lifted from mediocrity by excellent (often beautiful) work from 2nd-time director Anthony Mandler & a super-strong performance from Wright. It's not the greatest western ever, but is certainly watchable.

I was pleasantly surprised with 'Surrounded' since I expected the same hackneyed cliches which, yes, were there, but modified into a watchable movie. The director did an amazing job of balancing those very cliches into well portrayed performances by one and all. There were interesting character studies which included both the protagonist and 'the bad guy'. Is anyone all good or all bad? Depending on the circumstances, are we all capable of sliding between those two moral opposites? The cinematography was well done and landscape scenes downright beautiful. If you are willing to watch a western that not only has the gunfights but asks you to explore the motivations behind the action, give 'Surrounded' a try.

I'm writing this given the limited number of reviews, obviously skewed by those likely associated with the film writing gross exaggerations (worthy of awards etc.) and 1 viewer whose written essentially the same review with a 1 rating three times.

Cinematography is very good, plot has a few good twists that keep up the suspense. For me there were 3 glaring times that essentially "speeches" were awkwardly worked into the dialogue on race, feminism, etc. That really disrupted the continuity and credibility.

On the credibility front the slight female lead proceeds to kill about a dozen men, claims to have been the best soldier in the Union army during the civil war (a war in which physical strength mattered) and at the end chooses to violate the very values she refused to compromise for the entire movie despite great risk and pressure.

It's a mixed bag from my perspective but an interesting watch for a number of reasons.