The Thicket

For the press run that Peter went on to sell this thing, I was expecting more. I love Juliette Lewis (The Other Sister, From Dusk 'Till Dawn) and she basically carries the entire film. In my opinion, Peter Dinklage gives an unmemorable performance here yet shines in comparison to the rest of the somewhat unknown cast.

As far as Tubi movies go, this is a decent watch. I just felt like there was something missing. As far as westerns go, this one just doesn't feel like it has a lot of grit. I remember watching an interview with Peter where he recalls one of the producers wanting a character in the film to have a "James Hetfield" look (lead singer of Metallica, for those who don't know) and Peter suggested that they just get James Hetfield to do the movie. Well, there is probably a reason why they suggested a professionally trained actor who looks like Hetfield, rather than Hetfield himself. He does an okay job, even kind of bad at times.

I don't want to get political with this review, but I feel like this needs to be addressed. I understand that every movie can't be Django Unchained. I also understand that life imitates art and visa versa, and we are trying to create a better world here. But there is something inside of me that is crying out every time I watch a period piece made in modern times. It seems like Hollywood is desperately trying to rewrite history to make America's past seem way less racist and horrible than it is. This is a pretty good example of that. There is ZERO racial tension in the film, despite the fact that two out of the five characters are African American who go up against some of the frontier's nastiest outlaws. To my knowledge it isn't even mentioned and I didn't know that Reginald's (Dinklage) counterpart Eustace (Gbenga Akinnagbe) is an ex-slave until I read that in the film's description. No one else in the film mentions it at all. It's not a huge issue, it just feels kind of disrespectful to the people in that time who suffered the horrible atrocities of slavery. I just really don't like the white washing of American history. Sorry, rant over.

Another part of this movie that I didn't enjoy is seeing Andrew Schulz in the film. I don't like this man's comedy, I don't care for his podcast, and I think that he does a middling job here. He also sports the exact same haircut and mustache that we see in modern times which feels out of place. I remember a golden age of film where truly talented actors was enough to get people to see your film. Now we're at a point where we are relying on YouTube stars to get people to watch. It makes me kind of sad honestly.

I really wanted to like this movie more than I did. The cinematography is pretty good, despite the fact they use plenty of cheat codes (filming a western and using a winter backdrop, for example). I saw this for free so I guess beggar's can't be choosers, but I found this film to be average at best.

If you haven't already, I highly recommend the original novel. The characters are much more hashed out, there is actual growth and change as the story progresses. The main story line more or less follows the novel, however, there is none of the emotional punch that the book was excellent at delivering. There is little chemistry among the main protagonists.

It all felt very rushed getting slotted into a 100 minute runtime. It has the same feeling of the failed "Dark Tower" film with Idris Elba. The actors gave it their best with a weak screenplay. Given the pull Peter Dinklage has, this should have been a 6-8 episode miniseries on HBO.

I stumbled upon The Thicket by sheer luck, at my local hi-fi retailer and immediately after seeing names like Juliette Lewis and Peter Dinklage it caught my attention.

Juliette Lewis has long been one of my favorite actors, her performances in Natural Born Killers, Cape Fear, and Kalifornia have stuck with me for years as some of my favourite films.

So to see her take on a role in a gritty, old-school Western as Cutthroat Bill was an unexpected but welcome treat.

Set in the shadowy outlawed world of early 1900s Texas, The Thicket plunges you into a lawless land where it goes back to vintage western roots and the unknown of life and death which gives the film a brutal, lived-in sense of realism. In this world, moments can happen suddenly and unexpected.

The scenery, from dusty western towns to brooding parlors, is incredibly evocative. The snowy white frosty American outback in the travelling scenes was appealing and enhanced the vision of desolate human struggle, and isolation.

It captures the mood of the Western genre beautifully, without over-romanticizing it. One standout is Hector, played with grim intensity by Andrew Schultz, a villainous parlour keeper and kidnapper of women who gives the story some of its most intense and uneasy moments.

Peter Dinklage, was a witty and hilarious with his delivery of dialogue which greatly enhanced his reputation as someone who can outright lead a film.

One of the biggest surprises was seeing James Hetfield on screen. His rugged presence is immediately recognizable, and as a Metallica fan who's been lucky enough to see them live, it was a bit of an unexpected thrill to spot him from the crowd.

The film offers layers of character depth, especially through Peter Dinklage's haunted bounty hunter, and rough upbringing to Juliette Lewis's wild, almost feral outlaw. Lewis in particular steals every scene, balancing menace and madness with just the right amount of unpredictability and grunt.

That said, not everything hits the mark. Levon Hawke and Esme Creed-Miles bring youthful energy, but the experience is noticeable, they both lack the on-screen charisma needed to anchor a story that demands emotional weight. Their performances feel more like sketches of cliche characters than fully lived-in portraits, and that holds the film back at times.

As The Thicket builds toward its climactic shootout at the isolated cabin, towards the final showdown in the dense brush, things begin to feel a little hollow. The action is there, the stakes are high, but something is missing. Perhaps it's the mythic resonance of carnage in classic Westerns like The Magnificent Seven or The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. Maybe that comparison is unfair, but it's hard not to measure this film against those iconic giants.

In the end, The Thicket is a welcome return to old-fashioned storytelling, steeped in mood and moral ambiguity. It doesn't quite leave a lasting impression, but it's a dark, intriguing ride while it lasts, and worth watching for Juliette Lewis alone.

6/10.

The Thicket is a decent film boasts a good cast; stars Peter Dinklage, Leslie Grace, Juliette Lewis, Esmé Creed-Miles, Levon Hawke and Macon Blair. West Texas. After his sister Lula Parker (Esme Creed-Miles) is kidnapped, a desperate boy Jack Parker (Levon Hawke) recruits by a fierce bounty hunter named Reginald Jones (Peter Dinklage) to track down a ruthless and violent killer known only as Cutthroat Bill (Juliette Lewis). So Reginald becomes the leader of the group of outcasts searching for the stolen girl. As he rallies a band of unlikely heroes including a grave-digging ex-slave Eustace Hollow (Gbenga Akinnagbe) and a street-smart woman, Jimmie Sue, (Leslie Grace) for-hire. Together they embark on a perilous quest to track down Cutthroat Bill that leads them into the deadly "no-man's-land" known as... The Thicket. Death comes fast in Texas !.

This is a nice Western with noisy action, thrills, chills , violent attacks , assaults and loads of action. The film deals with the perilous and risked way that the motley expedition carries out their journey to track down to Cutthroat Bill. Exciting, though it is too, the film is not without its thoughtful side. Peter Dinklage (Tyrion Lannister in Game of Thrones) plays a ruthless bounty hunter in this violent revenge Western set in the early oil era of the early 20th century in Texas, in a place full of oil wells, cold envoronment snowy landscapes and where the first motor vehicles such as motorcycles are already seen. The film is full of murderers, blood and redemption. In the movie many sad and brutal events happen being based on the novel of the same name , a mystery/suspense novel written by American author Joe R. Lansdale , released by Mulholland Books in 2013 , which was adapted by playwright Chris Kelley.: The Thicket, here Dinklage plays an eloquent and resentful bounty hunter who will help a young man to find his sister, kidnapped by a bank robber. Directed by Elliot Lester (Blitz, Aftermath), and co-starring Juleitte Lewis (From Dusk Till Dawn, Cape Fear), the film also has in the cast with Levon Hawke (son of Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman), James Hetfield member of the famous hard rock group Metallica, Leslie Grace (Batgirl) and Andrew Schulz (Sneaky Pete).

The motion picture was professionally directed by Elliot Lester , delivering action and tension enough , although a little slow-moving at times. . This filmmaker is a fine craftsman who has directed some acceptable movies. Elliott's feature film ¨Nightingale¨, starring David Oyelowo and produced by Brad Pitt's Plan B, premiered in 2015 on HBO and earned David a "Best Actor" win at the Critic's Choice Awards. The film also received nominations at the Emmys and Golden Globes. His most recent film ¨Aftermath¨, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger & Scoot McNairy and produced by Darren Aronofsky. In addition, he is attached to direct the sci-fi thriller ¨Continuum¨ for Entertainment Studios with Josephson Entertainment producing. Lester has directed other important films such as: ¨Blitz¨ , ¨Sleepwalker¨,¨Love is the drug¨. In TV, Elliott recently sold ¨Say their names¨ to HBO, which he will direct. Elliott has previously directed multiple episodes of TV, including ¨Will¨ and ¨Containment¨ . Elliott is also an established music video director having worked with Avril Lavigne, Selena Gomez, and The Fray, among others. The Thicket(2024) rating: 6.5/10. Essential and fundamental seeing for Western enthusiasts .

The story and plot was easy to become invested in. It has gritty, interesting, and engaging characters. The story is compelling, violent, raw, and unpredictable. The outlaws were very bad, and the good guys felt like real people. There were many very tense and exciting scenes. The scenery and settings were authentic to a turn of the century rustic western era. The character acting was flawless throughout. I also quite enjoyed the music track. Overall, this movie was well written, well made, well acted, engaging, interesting and worthwhile. I can easily recommend it, but, it's not suitable for children.