Summary
This year’s western resurgence offers plenty of options, but this film’s simple premise and gamey gimmicks miss the mark.
The western genre, which arguably peaked between the 1940s and 1960s, is experiencing a resurgence this year. With Kevin Costner’s underrated magnum opus Horizon: An American Saga, the wider release of Viggo Mortensen’s The Dead Don’t Hurt, and the ongoing television adventures of Yellowstone/1923 and Billy the Kid, viewers have plenty to choose from. However, this particular outlaw is unlikely to appear on wanted posters.
Joey Palmroos and Austen Paul’s THE OUTLAWS, also known as 5 Outlaws, rides into town with a very simple premise. The titular group of outlaws make a daring daylight robbery of a train, only to later find that their stolen bag of loot is empty. Cue a series of accusations, standoffs and suspicious minds.
Palmroos, Paul, and co-writer Anders Holmes deliver a succinct screenplay, focusing on the immediate reactions of the titular outlaws upon discovering their bounty is missing. However, from the start, the story feels inconsequential. The initial standoff, where everyone gets shot, seems like a thrilling way to begin the film. But the constant voiceover undermines this by suggesting it “would be an easy and simple way to end this story” before resetting everything.
The emphasis on video game-style elements, like respawn points and on-screen graphics, seems to overshadow the narrative. Frequent flashbacks disrupt the flow, making it feel like the story is pieced together on the fly. For example, a lengthy cutaway in the middle of an ambush explains that the attacker has a prior grudge. Thanks for the exposition, folks.
Despite talking entirely in dime store dialogue, the principal players do their best to carry the light load. Celeste Wall in particular stands out from the crowd as a Calamity Jane type who refuses to fit into the archetypes set by 19th century men. You may ultimately feel a bit Eric Roberts-baited by that poster though, especially given his limited presence in the final moments of the film.
On a technical level, Palmroos and Paul — who are also credited as cinematographers on the film — have pulled together an attractive film at least. There’s little black and white inserts for the flashback footage, gorgeous shots of the forest canopy and a good use of the environment.
This film, however, is largely a collection of its influences, lacking a distinctive point of view. The presence of a gunman who “liked to play a harmonica” is a clear nod to Sergio Leone, but it doesn’t capture his essence or his skill. While THE OUTLAWS is dressed in western garb, it could easily be set in any time or place.
2024 | USA | DIRECTOR: Joey Palmroos and Austen Paul | WRITERS: Joey Palmroos, Austen Paul and Anders Holmes | CAST: Dallas Hart, Arthur Sylense, Jonathan Peacy, Celeste Wall, Eric Roberts | DISTRIBUTOR: Saban Films | RUNNING TIME: 78 minutes | RELEASE DATE: 12 July 2024 (USA)
