Hell or High Water is Re-Watch Worthy

A screenwriting masterpiece from Taylor Sheridan

By Janelle Lee Austin

September 15, 2024

When Hell or High Water came out in 2016, I watched it with my husband, and we were both blown away by the storyline. But here’s where we differ: I’m not someone who re-watches movies repeatedly, while my husband, on the other hand, has watched this film at least fifty times since we first saw it. And I’m not even exaggerating.

Now, as a film student, I re-watched it today with a completely different mindset. This time, I wasn’t just a moviegoer. I was approaching it as a reviewer, paying close attention to things I didn’t catch the first time around or during the snippets I saw while my husband re-watched it.

The film follows two brothers: Tanner (Ben Foster), a troublemaker, and Toby (Chris Pine), trying to break the cycle of generational poverty by robbing banks to pay off the debts to keep their family ranch. Also important to the story are the two Rangers: Marcus (Jeff Bridges), who’s almost retired, and Alberto (Gil Birmingham), a family man, who are on a mission to track the robbers down.

The most brilliant aspect of this film is its screenwriting (click HERE for script). I’m almost embarrassed to admit I didn’t realize Taylor Sheridan wrote this masterpiece. Sheridan excels at creating subtext through even the smallest details in dialogue. From understanding that the brothers’ father was abusive to picking up on Alberto’s quiet frustrations with "the white man", the writing is beautifully layered in subtle moments of conversation.

Another standout element is how director David Mackenzie made the locations feel like characters in the story. The atmosphere is soaked in desperation, reflected in the barren fields, shuttered businesses, rusted propane tanks, and stagnant oil rigs. These visuals give depth to the characters' sense of hopelessness and, in a way, justify their actions to some viewers and townsfolk. There are no throwaway scenes. Every moment moves the story forward, leaving clues as to why Toby and Tanner felt forced into this life and why the townsfolk might be reluctant to help the law track them down.

The cinematic choices also struck me this time around. Using natural light—from sunrise to blue hour—combined with simple, single shots adds to the film's raw, understated beauty. The casting is another strong point. Each actor brings something unique to the story, but my favorite performance by far was Jeff Bridges as Marcus. His quick-witted exchanges with Alberto were a highlight, but the real gut punch came in the scene where he had to kill Tanner—triumphant and heartbreaking.

I was surprised to learn the film only made $37M worldwide, especially considering its many award nominations. After re-watching it with fresh eyes, I can finally understand why my husband keeps coming back to it. Each time you watch, you pick up on something new, gaining a different perspective from another character you didn’t fully appreciate the first time. If you haven’t seen this film yet, I highly recommend it. It’s now officially in my top five films of all time.