The Harder They Fall (2021)

Directed by Jeymes Samuel. Starring Jonathan Majors, Idris Elba, Regina King, Lakeith Stanfield, Zazie Beetz, Delroy Lindo, Danielle Deadwyler, Ronald “RJ” Cyler, Deon Cole, Edi Gathegi, Julio Cesar Cedillo. [R]

Zesty, high-style Western peppers in a little revisionist flavor but sticks to the tropes most of the way. After a prologue sets up the payback stakes, additional characters are introduced (sometimes in medias res) so that the two sides can be established—“good” outlaw Majors, saloon-owning lover Beetz, and his gang on one side; “bad” outlaw Elba, vicious right hand ma’am King, quick-draw killer Stanfield, and the rest of Elba’s gang on the other. As much posturing as there is acting, the strong cast still finds ways to elevate their clichés into various shades of notoriety. Despite the two-and-a-quarter-hour runtime, there’s not much story here, which leaves plenty of time for tongue-in-cheek quips and an endless array of showdowns that hurt momentum but amplify the “cool” factor. The bold color schemes and artificial art direction resemble graphic novel panels, and there’s certainly no shortage of gunplay, so even if it’s emptier and more mannered than it should be, it’s mostly a rollicking good time for fans of this tongue-in-cheek brand. Despite featuring a nearly all-black cast, racial themes are primarily reserved for subtext and attitude only. Co-produced by Jay-Z, who also shows up on the soundtrack.

72/100