The Harder They Fall (2021)

Jeymes Samuel’s western aims to right the wrongs of older westerns by offering a more accurate cultural portrayal of the Wild West. The lack of diversity is obvious in historical westerns, and Samuel’s almost exclusively black cast is a pointed touch to the shortcomings of previous genre efforts. But is the film any good any good? Well yes, and that begins with his casting being spot on in every respect, including drawing the best performance out of Idris Elba since The Wire (2002-2008). Jonathan Majors as Nat Cole is tremendous in the central role, hunting down Elba’s Rufus Buck years after he murdered his parents. It’s a stellar cast elsewhere as well, Regina King and LaKeith Stanfield are both brilliant in everything they do and this is no exception. The Harder They Fall is a lot of fun, and it’s hard not to associate some of the violence with Quentin Tarantino who is clearly an influence here. Westerns are not something that headline cinematic releases these days, and The Harder They Fall is a Netflix release, following a very brief cinema stint, which is a shame; this would look great on the big screen. In the end it’s too ridiculous to be taken overly seriously, but that’s probably Samuel’s point. The attempted emotional connections are thin at best, but again that can be spun into a positive when you find yourself enjoying the presence of the good guys and the bad. It’s disposable fun, and while it might not stay with you for too long after watching it, it’s hugely enjoyable while you’re doing so. 7.3/10