The Old Way doesn't quite offer anything new to a Western genre, but is watchable and mildly entertaining nonetheless.
WRITTEN BY ELLIOT LINES / JANUARY 15, 2023
When old gunslinger, Colton Briggs (Nicolas Cage), past catches up with him, him and his daughter come face to face with his past and face the consequences of Briggs killing the father of the man that has come across their path. With Cage up to his normal tricks (popping up in random movies), The Old Way doesn't quite offer anything new to a Western genre, but is watchable and mildly entertaining nonetheless.
There is not much that hasn't been done across the Western genre, and The Old Way is no exception. The normal beats of revenge and old paths crossing are the main focus of the story, one that you could probably predict from the first scene of the movie. However, this finds itself in the "easy watch" category, that you won't need to switch your mind on for, just let the story unfold in front of your eyes.
The picturesque Western style is on full show here, once again not diverting from the grain of genre movies from the past (which there are plenty). But the aesthetic is easy on the eye, witht he settings playing a part in the overall arc of the storyline.
We've come to learn of Nic Cages acting style, and there are glimpses of the "over-acting" here, nothing like The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent. It's certainly a more retracted role, gunslinger turned family man, a role that cage delivers in when needing to. His supporting cast however are hit or miss, at times feeling a little overshadowed by the presence of Cage in front of them.
The Old Way brings an easy to follow story-line with very familiar Western genre tropes. Even though the movie was mostly enjoyable, it's not one that will sit on the mind for long. For Western or Nic Cage fans, why not, but for anyone else I'm not sure this will appeal.
STAR RATING
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