It’s always a good day when a Western is making waves on streaming — and all the more so when it’s a film that never got its due at the box office. And if you hop over to Netflix right now, you’ll discover exactly that: the platform’s number eight most popular movie in the U.S. is the largely unknown 2021 Western Old Henry.
In one of his handful of features as a leading man — and his first horse opera since The Ballad of Buster Scruggs — Tim Blake Nelson leads the offbeat charge as the titular hero in this fabulous Western that will challenge your perceptions of the genre.
‘Old Henry’ Is One of the Best Unwatched Westerns of the 21st Century
Tim Blake Nelson may not be your typical pick for leading man, but when it comes to Old Henry, there’s no one else for the job. Set in the early 20th century, this underrated and criminally overlooked Western follows Oklahoma farmer Henry McCarty as a band of armed men claiming to be the law show up at his doorstep. This group, led by Stephen Dorff‘s charismatic Ketchum, are looking for a missing outlaw named Curry (Scott Haze), who likewise claims to be a lawman. Unsure of whom to trust, Henry — along with his young, looking-for-a-fight son, Wyatt (Gavin Lewis) — is caught between both men, and tries his darnedest to stay out of it altogether. But when violence arrives at his doorstep, the widower can do nothing but wage a one-man war against the party, fighting to keep this life he’s found for himself. Though Old Henry probably isn’t going to come up in casual Western conversation, the results speak for themselves. It truly is an excellent film.
Those looking for something action-packed like James Mangold‘s 3:10 to Yuma or a historical epic like Kevin Costner‘s Dances with Wolves will be disappointed; that’s not what Old Henry is. While the film itself plays no games in its meditations on violence and murder, it prides itself on its intimate, character-driven approach to the Old West. We understand from the very beginning that Henry’s a patient man with a violent past, one who has fought every way he can to leave those old ways behind. He’s also a man of tragedy, and that tragedy is what prompts him to protect his son, keeping him away from firearms and anything resembling his old life.
The slow-burn tension is reminiscent of popular horse operas like Unforgiven, though it subverts the typical genre conventions by keeping McCarty’s true identity under wraps throughout, constantly emphasizing his desire not to fight. (Of course, his true name is only a “twist” if you don’t know your Old West history. It’s not too hard to figure out, but you may appreciate the film more if you don’t look it up.)
Tim Blake Nelson Is a Brilliant Western Gunslinger in ‘Old Henry’
In an effort to keep his son away from the life he once lived, Nelson’s tired old former gunslinger does his best to avoid the conflict entirely. It’s only when he’s forced to confront those who refuse to take no for an answer that he proves himself one of the best Western heroes of the 21st century.
Old Henry concludes with a major twist at the end that solidifies its sobering excellence. The expert craftsmanship of writer-director Potsy Ponciroli is on full display, making this compelling Western a strong testament to the importance of the genre, even all these years after its heyday. Rather than live in the myths of the West, it takes a more revisionist approach by emphasizing Henry’s inability to fully leave that past behind — and reminds the viewer that the legends we’re told are rarely ever the end of the story.
Those who have yet to be initiated into the masterpiece that is Old Henry ought to know right off the bat that Nelson kills it. Henry goes from a humble man of the land to a gun-toting killer in no time, but does so with a meekness that refuses to betray his competence with a weapon. The character’s stoic countenance and mysterious demeanor are simply magnetic, and the farthest cry from Nelson’s previous Western role as the cheerful, happy-go-lucky Buster Scruggs. Old Henry offers plenty of gritty and violent action (that third act is seriously brutal) and period-accurate suspense, and narrative similarities make it exist almost a companion piece to films like Sam Shepard’s underrated Blackthorn. But make no mistake, Old Henry rides laps around the competition, and has been considered one of the best Westerns of the last two decades for a reason. If you haven’t already, add this one to your Netflix watchlist today!
Old Henry is available for streaming on Netflix.
