4 Star

Lessons in Logic, and Revenge.

Actor, producer, and director Brett Donowho (Salvation, A Haunting at Silver Falls), brings us a story by Carl W. Lucas (The Wave). A story of a ruthless but lawful man, who deals out justice with his trusty pistols. This has a profound effect on a young boy, who will eventually seek revenge.

It is the wild west and instant justice is being dealt out, as Mr Robert McCalister (Boyd Kestner, Little Loopers, Rush Hour) was caught stealing from Clark’s Mercantile, and now he has a noose around his neck. Colton Briggs (Nicolas Cage, Tokarev, Season of the Witch, Con Air) stands watching, as he is owed money by Clark (Dean Armstrong, Saw 3D, A Perfect Plan). Robert’s brother tries to get him released, using a shotgun. This is where it goes badly wrong for the McCallister brothers, as Colton protects his interests, and the McCallister brothers lie dead in front of their younger brother James (Everett Blunck). In the affray, Mr Clark also lies dead, so Colton goes in his shop to get the money he is owed.

Paid in Full!

Twenty years later, Colton Briggs is a different man, due to the love of his wife Ruth (Kerry Knuppe, R.I.P.D. 2: Rise of the Damned, The Black That Follows), and their twelve-year-old precocious daughter Brooke (Ryan Kiera Armstrong, The Art of Racing in the Rain, The Tomorrow War) (She is the star of the film). Calton’s life is totally different, as he is now the Mercantile store owner while Ruth runs their small farmstead. Their main problem is who is going to take Brooke to school and today that is Colton.

Brooke is always asking questions, “Why this and not that?” and this really annoys Colton. When the long journey is over they find out that the school is closed, so Brooke has to spend the day in the store, studying. This where we see how observant she is and her independent thinking works.

Meanwhile, Ruth’s day just got much worse, as now grown-up James (Noah Le Gros, Depraved, The Beach House) turns up at their home with his gang of outlaws. He is out for revenge on the man that killed his kin. This pent-up aggression is taken out on Ruth.

You boy have woke up the devil!

Back at Brigg’s mercantile, it is the end of the day, and father and daughter lock up for the night and head home. It is dark, and the lights are on in the house, but it isn’t Ruth that greets them, but Marshal Jarret (Nick Searcy, The Shape of Water, Gone), who informs him that he is chasing McCallister’s gang, and how his wife had been murdered. Neither Colton nor Brooke shed a tear, which worries the Marshals men. The Marshal warns Colton about dealing out his sort of justice, but we all know that is going to work. Now there are three people out for revenge, as Colton reprises his former life-style, and now he has a daughter in tow.

It is great to see Nicolas Cage with a duster on, and a six-shooter in his hand, but my hat comes off to Ryan Kiera Armstrong, who delivers a stunning performance as the girl with a difference. Great to see Westerns still being made.

The Old Way is in cinemas and available on Altitude.film and other digital platforms from 13th January.