Frontier Crucible, a new western thriller from director Travis Mills, is now out on Blu-ray and Digital, and our friends at Well Go USA Entertainment sent Cherry the Geek TV a copy for review.
The film opens in 1872, with three faceless thugs killing a seemingly random stranger they stumble across in the desert. Fast-forward two years. Myles Clohessy plays Merrick Beckford, a man hired to take a much needed wagon of medicine and supplies south through dangerous Apache territory. Shortly after he begins his journey, he encounters the three dangerous outlaws (Thomas Jane, Armie Hammer, and Ryan Masson) as well as a wounded man and his wife (Mary Stickley). When one of the outlaws gleefully kills an Apache scout, all bets are off and survival is the name of the game.
The film, written by Harry Whittington and S. Craig Zahler (Bone Tomahawk, Brawl in Cell Block 99) is based on the novel Desert Stake-Out by Whittington. It is bloody. It is violent. And it is a blast. A throwback western in the style of Budd Boetticher if it crossed paths with Sam Peckinpah.
There are so many things about this film that work. The cinematography by Maxime Alexandre is beautiful. The composition of the shots is spectacular and some of the landscape imagery is jaw-dropping.
The film opens with and breaks many times with songs written and performed by Sean Rowe. They are very reminiscent of the Leonard Cohen songs that were scattered throughout the Robert Altman western McCabe and Mrs. Miller. There are eight different songs in the film, all with a bluesy, folk-influenced sound with a low vocal range, and all of them work in the context of the film and enhance what we’re watching.
The cast are all amazing. Clohessy is a strong, likeable lead. Jane, Hammer, and Masson are all unlikable villains in the best of ways. Stickley is beautiful and solid. William H. Macy appears in a small role at the beginning of the film as the soldier who sends Beckford on his mission, and is great as always.
The third act of the film is where the magic happens. We’re not going to spoil what happens, but it elevates the film into something very special.
The disc contains a WONDERFUL making of-documentary. It’s in-depth– and goes into all areas of production.
Frontier Crucible is a winner. Seek this one out.
THE MOVIE- 4 Stars
VIDEO QUALITY- 4 Stars
AUDIO QUALITY- 4 Stars
BONUS FEATURES- 4 Stars
OVERALL VALUE- 4 Stars
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