Rust

There are 3 groups of people downvoting this movie:

• Political groups that despise Alec Baldwin
• People that think he should have abandoned it because of the death that occured while filing. Or thought Alec was responsible
• Some that maybe weren't expecting an old fashioned western

If you filter out those views, its a solid if imperfect yarn of a western.

We really enjoyed it for what it is - a small(ish) budget old school western that resembles movies from a different era.

The movie is not short on action, but spends a fair amount of time on scenery and character development.

I guess these days that's "too slow" for some.

If you watched the Hulu documentary "Last Take: Rust and the Story of Halyna", you would go to see the work of this great cinematographer because it was her families wishes for everyone to see her work.

As for the movie, a lot of the shots were absolutely stunning and truly conveyed the atmosphere and spirit of the film.

While some parts of the movie could have been more refined and were a little drawn out, the overall story line was good and fitting of a classic western. The actors were the right fit. Alec Baldwin and Patrick McDermott did a good job!

Sometimes simple is better. In all, I think it was worth the watch.

Of course I had heard about this movie prior to watching it. I mean, it was after all the movie that caused quite a ruckus for Alec Baldwin given the situation with a firearm loaded with live rounds.

I have to say that the storyline and narrative was not the most interesting, and it struggled with slow pacing, which made it somewhat of a dull viewing experience to sit through two hours and nineteen minutes of watching it. There was a whole lot of talking throughout the course of the movie and not particularly much in the action department.

The movie does have a good cast ensemble, with the likes of Alec Baldwin, Jake Busey, Frances Fisher, Josh Hopkins, Xander Berkeley, Abraham Benrubi and Travis Fimmel. So you are in rather capable company throughout the course of the movie. The acting performances in the movie were good, which I figure was needless to point out.

"Rust" does look and feel like a proper Western, so thumbs up to the set designers, wardrobe, props, etc. That made it a bit more bearable to sit through the narrative.

This is a movie for diehard fans of the Western genre. I sat down to watch it as a casual viewer and I was struggling to keep having an interest in the sluggish narrative. I will not be returning to watch "Rust" a second time, as I was struggling enough to get through it the first time.

My rating of writer and director Joel Souza's 2024 movie "Rust" lands on a four out of ten stars.

This is a solid western, the story keeps you engaged and invested in the characters and where the story is going to lead them. The acting, costumes, sets, everything was superb. Where this falls short is the story, it keeps you entertained to the end but just falls short of being a classic you'd want to rewatch and discuss. I feel its lacking a twist or a callback to tie the story together, as is, its more a progression of events. Something like if the kids fancy rifle ended up moving through a few hands, perhaps when the bounty hunters fight each other the survivor claims it only to die in the next fight enforcing its 'curse', and then was used in a key moment at the end to save or kill the kid and he gets it back, or some other twist. It doesnt need to be big, just a little spice in an otherwise impressive film.

I have written an unpublished book about the accidental shooting of Halyna Hutchins and Joel Souza on the New Mexico set of Rust. My book is about how accidents happen, not the movie. I am not a fan of Westerns nor low budget movies but I enjoyed Rust. Joel Souza surprised me with a well written movie, a depth of characters and morality that I did not expect. Wood Helm and Lucas Rust characters were well acted and Alec Baldwin never over shadowed his co-stars in a reserved portrayal of a broken man. I hope everyone pays to see Rust. Any proceeds go to Halyna Hutchins per an end of credits video. Halyna's death was a terrible accident caused by many foreseeable and unforeseeable events. Tragic if people feel it does not honor Ms. Hutchins going to see the movie.