‘Gunslingers’ Review: An Action-Packed Western

Gunslingers follows Thomas Keller (Stephen Dorff), a wanted man in America in the year 1907. While on the run, he comes across a town in Kentucky called Redemption. The town of outlaws and their leader Jericho (Costas Mandylor) welcome Keller with open arms. Unbeknownst to him and the rest of the town, his past has been following him on his way to redemption. When a woman, Val, shows up, Keller’s brother (Jeremy Kent Jackson) is not far behind and is looking to collect Keller and everyone else in the town, leading to an all-out Western brawl in a fight for revenge, greed, and survival. Director Brian Skiba says, “This film is about outlaws, redemption, and the harsh reality of a world where the line between good and evil is razor-thin.” Gunslingers will be in theaters and on Demand and on Digital on April 11.

The film feels like a true Western, from the action, to the outfits, and its tense nature. Despite that, the story lacks the depth needed to give it a cohesive feel. There’s a lot of missing information about the characters that would allow for a deeper connection to them if their character arcs were discovered more. It would’ve made for a more immersive experience if we could have gotten to get to know the other outlaws of the town of Redemption. We only learn the basic, on the surface information about the Redemption town members. Jericho is the founder, Bella (Scarlett Rose Stallone) is his daughter, Ben (Nicholas Cage) is extremely religious, while Levi (Cooper Barnes) is not. We don’t get to learn what caused the religious shift in Ben, nor why Levi has a strong belief that God does not exist. If the characters were given more background, for example, how Jericho founded this town with his daughter, and how the other outlaws including Ben, found the place. I think the side characters would have resonated with me more if we were given more information about them and their history before they get to the town. From the opening scene, the film pulls you in with action. A gun brawl in New York City in the year 1907. You are immediately thrust into the action, as Thomas is fighting against another group. However, we never really learn about the group or what they’re after. But after Thomas kills one of them, he had no choice but to go on the run. The action throughout the film is Western-esque, from the standoffs, to the way the guns are drawn, and it makes for a captivating viewing experience. In the scenes without action, the pace slows down a little too much, and would have been the perfect spot to delve into the past of one of the Redemption town members. Nicolas Cage felt underutilized to me, and depth on his character especially would have highlighted his acting just a tad more and made the film more well rounded in terms of the story. The mise en scène, the town of Redemption especially, has an extremely western feel. The costuming and props of the guns and the town fit the time period it is supposed to be in. It does not look modern, which is something period pieces struggle with sometimes. Additionally, it is a tense environment to Thomas as the newcomer, and you can feel that when he first enters the town. The tension is an additional element of the mise en scène that cements it into the Western genre. A western is supposed to invoke suspense and friction, and in Gunslingers, it is felt in the gunfights, and is when the film is at its peak. Score: 3 out of 5 stars

Gunslingers is an exciting western that pulls you in with action, but might lose you along the way in between the action scenes. If more exploration was dedicated toward the supporting characters, it would bump up to a strong four.