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"Anti-glam pseudo-gangster crime film with a western vibe, Hell or High Water has it all. Sarcastic and pleasingly wild, [it] gives the well-trodden genre of heist flicks a surprising social dimension." – The Upcoming

British director David Mackenzie follows his hugely popular Starred Up (MIFF 2014) with a bracingly smart and darkly funny foray into classic Americana. Working from a searing, always quotable screenplay by Sicario scribe Taylor Sheridan, he introduces us to outlaw brothers Toby (Chris Pine) and Tanner (Ben Foster) – in their criminality, a conscientious amateur and unrepentant semi-pro, respectively – as they embark on a spree of bank robberies, chased by racially insensitive Texas ranger Marcus (Jeff Bridges) and his Comanche-Mexican deputy Alberto (Gil Birmingham).

That deceptively familiar set-up is twisted into a gripping caper with a social conscience and a wittily satirical bent, and something both serious and sad to say about contemporary profit-before-people politics. As intelligent as it is violent, and carried by a first-class ensemble and an evocative score courtesy of Nick Cave and Warren Ellis, Hell or High Water is the 21st-century Robin Hood story we've been waiting for.

"A thrillingly good movie: a crackerjack drama of crime, fear, and brotherly love set in a sun-roasted, deceptively sleepy West Texas that feels completely exotic for being so authentic." – Variety

 

Please note: This is an Open Captioned screening of the film where captions will display on the screen to enable deaf and hard of hearing audience members to access the film. Unfortunately, Audio Description is not available on the version of the film sent to MIFF.

This session was incorrectly listed in the printed program as starting at 4pm. The correct start time is 7pm.