The Highwaymen (2019)

The untold true story of the legendary detectives who brought down Bonnie and Clyde.

Jess’ Review

The Highwaymen loosely follows the true-life law pursuit of infamous criminals, Bonnie and Clyde, from the perspective of two hardened Texas Rangers. It’s an interesting take given the long-standing glamorisation of the couple, which in and of itself has inspired countless fictional homages - think Natural Born Killers, for one. But witnessing the story of the men who brought them to justice, hardbitten Frank Hamer (Kevin Costner) and Maney Gault (Woody Harrelson), is a surprisingly bold statement. For me at least, it protests the glorification of Bonnie and Clyde’s narrative of two sweethearts ‘sticking it to the man’ and instead seeks to appropriately vilify them. I commend director John Lee Hancock’s choice, and feel it introduces a realistic, gritty take on a well-known event that has since shifted into a glitzy fable.

However, Sam and I’s viewing of the film comes with unintentionally poor timing. As a light is shined on police brutality and the systemic racism within the force, I must admit that I felt quite uncomfortable rooting for The Highwaymen’s heroes at times. This is not a reflection on the quality of the film, though regrettably it did impact my experience.

Harrelson is as fantastic as ever, seemingly well-attuned for this kind of role. Costner also holds his own, with a subtle intensity that grows determined as the plots delves into a more sinister territory. It’s a dark film with some unpleasant undertones, though in its pursuit of realism and authenticity, feels slow. The film is long, and whilst brimming with periodically laid out detective work and an attention to detail, it’s not all that thrilling. There are some action sequences, of course, but even these feel lukewarm. And it’s a shame. The energy is limited, and whilst the stakes are high, they never feel that unreachable. There’s little suspense. But perhaps that’s simply on account that we know how the story ends.

The cinematography is perhaps my favourite aspect of The Highwaymen.

Visually, it’s gorgeous. From the costume design, to these looming shots of sprawling Southern landscapes, the film looks great. It’s crisp, smart, and is oozing with a kind of noir-thriller tone that really excites me. It has an old-time-y kind of mood that worked really well. I felt immersed, and whilst certain scenes might’ve been somewhat lacklustre, the visuals were a plentiful feast.

For me, The Highwaymen had a gripping plot that was executed clumsily. It was too long, too focused on the details and journey itself that the payoff was simply an afterthought. We always know where we’re headed. We get comfortable, yet soon find the ride tedious. And whilst the company of Hamer and Gault is redeeming, the film ultimately falls flat.

6/10

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Sam’s Review

Stepping straight into the action, we see Bonnie and Clyde staging a prison break. It’s filmed well, giving us a restricted view of the notorious duo, as if they are eluding us. After the initial ten minutes, it hits a lull. Woody Harrelson doesn’t touch the screen for over 20 minutes. Opposed to following the film, my mind wanders, and I just keep pondering where he is.

The way the Texas Rangers are talked about had me intrigued, they clearly had a storied past. A brief google reveals that it’s a dark one. This is touched upon by Maney (Harrelson) and I respect that they’re not fully glorifying these men. Though minor, they are attempting to hold them accountable. It also reminds me how good an actor Harrelson is. His puppy dog eyes, and soft tone, are incredibly sympathetic. That said. While we are meant to root for Frank and Maney, they aren’t heroes. There are no heroes in this story. Bonnie and Clyde were criminals, and so were those who hunted them. Criminals with a badge, but criminals none the less. Manos arribas...

I paused the film around the halfway mark, only to groan when I realised there was an hour left. The premise starts to wear thin. While it’s clear that they’re attempting to build the suspense, there isn’t enough story to stretch this over two hours, even with them taking liberties with the truth. And there’s so much they can cut. The film, admirably, does away with secondary plots and love interests, but why stop there? Maney’s backstory was so insignificant that the minutes wasted on what they did show are pointless. The film needed 30 minutes chopped from it.

There’s heart in the film, predominately carried by the two leads and their fragile relationship. Kevin Costner plays Frank Hamer, an aged Texas Ranger who’s tired of the world around him. His counterpart Maney Gault (Harrelson) has the hint of humour, but the groan in his eye has been replaced by guilt. It’s got made-for-TV written all over it. It has a modicum of grit, but the cliché lines undermine it. The bleak landscape of the 1930’s southern United States isn’t captured as well as Oh Brother, Where Art Thou? but they get do it justice.

Opposed to a thrilling film about Hamer hunting down Bonnie and Clyde, it’s treated as a buddy cop style film. And thus, it’s ceiling is stifled. And though the chemistry between Harrelson and Costner is brilliant, an engrossing story would have been preferred.

6.5/10