"The Harder They Fall" is a Modern Western that’s a Bloody Good Time.

Honestly, give me a movie with Idris Elba in it and I will call it a success. Doesn’t even have to have a real plot, though that always helps. and it's not the case here. But I could watch a four-hour movie with Idris Elba sitting in a chair reciting dialogue. To me, that is cinema. So in summary, when I saw that Idris Elba joined the new Netflix Western “The Harder They Fall” as Gang Leader Rufus Black, I threw my money at the screen. Give me more!

Co-written and directed by first-timer, Jeymes Samuel, “The Harder They Fall” is a modern western based in the historical wild west. They exist in a time where gangs rule the better side of the state, working to claim territory not just for wealth, but for their people who have been subjected to belittlement their whole lives.

There are two rival gangs, the Nat Love Gang, led by Nat Love (Jonathon Majors) who is constantly up against The Rufus Buck Gang, led by (Idris Elba). Sworn as enemies, Buck killed off Love’s mother and father when he was a child – thirsty for vengeance, Nat Love is constantly at odds with the old-western gang leader as they struggle for dominance. But instead of robbing banks, the Nat Love Gang is focused on robbing the money back from outlaws.

The Rufus Buck Gang is composed of outlaws and criminals like Trusty Smith (Regina King) and Cherokee Bill (LaKeith Stanfield) while the Nat Love Gang has crime-fighters like Mary Fields (Zazie Beetz) and Bass Reeves (Delroy Lindo). Constantly at war with each other, we come to realize that Rufus Buck’s goal may not always be tailored towards forge and plunder. Instead, he has a vision to create an oasis and safe-haven for other black people in the town of Redwood. Both Gangs see the virtue of their work and believe that what they are doing is actually in the name of doing good.

The film is gory, bloody and has a swagger that you have never seen in Westerns. It works to incorporate modern themes and dialogue into the typical tropes that we have seen in many films before.

Would watch again.

Movie Score: 6.5/10

And that’s the sitch.