Du sang dans la neige

The Thicket (2024) is a gritty Western thriller that has its moments but ultimately falls short of its potential. Based on Joe R. Lansdale's novel, the film sets up an intriguing premise: a young man seeking to rescue his kidnapped sister, teaming up with a bounty hunter and a quirky group of outcasts. The cast, led by Peter Dinklage, gives solid performances, especially Dinklage, who brings a grizzled charm and intensity to his role. Juliette Lewis also shines in her eccentric supporting part (on par with the performance of Dinklage, or even better).

Visually, the film captures the rough, unforgiving world of the frontier, with a stark and at times beautiful atmosphere. There's a tangible sense of danger and lawlessness, enhanced by a strong score that keeps the tension simmering.

However, despite these positives, The Thicket feels uneven. The pacing drags in places, with long stretches where not much happens. Some of the supporting characters, while entertaining, don't get enough depth to feel fully realized. I found the meeting with some characters rushed too. The plot, which starts strong, becomes somewhat predictable, relying on familiar Western tropes without offering much new to the genre.

Overall, The Thicket has moments of grit and character, but its inconsistent pacing and lack of fresh storytelling prevent it from being more than an average watch. It's worth seeing if you're a fan of the genre or the actors involved, but it doesn't quite leave a lasting impact.

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.

I'm a big fan of Westerns and The Thicket was a pleasant surprise in a day and age where Western films are so rare. Like most Westerns, the plot is simple; a bounty hunter is tasked with tracking down the kidnapped sister of his client.

Juliette Lewis is brilliant as the villain, barely recognizable, she gives a heck of a performance here as a layered villain with some decency left in her. She lives as a man, with a male name and if it weren't for the cast listing I'd never think she was a woman.

Peter Dinklage plays the bounty hunter and he's as brilliant as always. He brings 100% to the table in everything he does. During the quest to find the kidnapped girl, lots of things transpire, friendships are formed and survival tactics are put to use. I need to mention the set design here because it's A-level stuff. Beautiful sets, props, cinematography, and costume design.

I need to mention James Hetfield, a pleasant surprise seeing his cameo role in this film. Andrew Shultz, a famous NY comedian also has a cameo role in this film which was so surprising to see. Lots of themes are scattered throughout the film's plot, including the fine line between religion and literature.

The Thicket is available for free streaming on TUBI. Western fans will not be disappointed with this one unless you prefer non-modern Westerns, because this film takes place in the mid 1980s. The movie was shot on location in Calgary Alberta Canada, in the bitter cold, and the billowing cold breaths from the actors really added to the atmosphere.

A lot of what the characters do makes very little sense. For example the protagonist seemingly has one central goal but then stops to do a good deed that almost destroys everything. A good deed that also has a giant Afro in frontier times? Juliette Lewis' huge lips are also very distracting. Decent story and shot beautifully but things like these pulled me out of the movie.

Peter Dinklage kills it as he does 100% of the time. Great to see him in this unique role and hope he gets more like it in the future.

This paragraph is just to make my review long enough for the new six hundred character requirement instituted because Amazon's $1Billion snow ranked and got bombed on this site. Hopefully they change it back because this is a waste of my and everyone else's time for quite literally absolutely no reason. Boom six hundred characters.

Set against the unforgiving backdrop of the Wild West, The Thicket tells the story of a mismatched group of individuals: Reginald Jones, a bounty hunter portrayed by Peter Dinklage; his loyal sidekick Eustace, played by Gbenga Akinnagbe; Jack, who enlists their help to rescue his kidnapped sister (Levon Hawke); Lula, the sister in peril (Esme Creed-Miles); and the menacing outlaw Cut Throat Bill, brought to life by Juliette Lewis.

This film evokes memories of Sergio Corbucci's spaghetti Westerns, yet it opts for a more subdued palette, emphasizing the darker aspects of its narrative and employing somber cinematographic techniques. It is only towards the conclusion that the visuals begin to brighten.

The storyline is populated with nefarious characters and unstable individuals, all too willing to inflict harm on anyone displaying courage or a strong moral compass. Consequently, the innocent siblings endure their share of hardships before they learn to adapt and survive in this brutal, unforgiving environment. Their plight is compounded by the tragic loss of their parents to smallpox and the murder of their grandfather (Guy Sprung) by Bill, which sets off this harrowing journey.

In summary, this film is likely to captivate those in search of a chilling, action-packed thriller that embraces its brutality and mercilessness with a haunting, macabre flair. Enjoy!