The Thicket
Directed by Elliot Lester
Starring Peter Dinklage, Juliette Lewis, Esmé Creed-Miles
Rated R
Runtime 1 hour 45 minutes
In theaters September 6

by Shah!, Staff Writer

“This seems a Home — And Home is not — But what that Place could be” - Emily Dickinson

In 2024, it seems rather too good to be true that we get a gritty vengeance-filled Western action drama starring Peter Dinklage—and yet, that is the reality we live in. For one, I’m truly grateful for that, because this film rips.

The Thicket was adapted from the 2013 novel of the same name by author Joe R. Lansdale. Bounty hunter Reginald Jones (Dinklage), has been asked by a desperate young man, Jack (Levon Hawke), to help find his abducted sister Lula (Esmé Creed-Miles). The abductor, gang leader ‘Cut Throat Bill’, is played brilliantly by Juliette Lewis. There’s something unabashedly Western in the way Lewis talks and acts, making this a transformative role. It’s the kind of villain where you take one look and go “yup, that’s straight outta a western.” She completely understood what she was being tasked with and it was the perfect puzzle piece in this genre film.

The novel this film is based on is more of a mystery/suspense joint, so if you expect this to be a full-on action flick, I fear it’s not what you’re looking for. Although it has a handful of great action, it spends plenty of time having quiet moments where the characters plot out their mission as they continue to investigate the missing girl. The film also grapples with the concept of morality as some of the ensemble seem to be doing this just for the money, but then, as their journey continues, they learn something. Perhaps there is more to all of this than just money. It’s a nice blend of themes of ideologies that I thought worked well and it all culminated in this one beautiful tapestry of storytelling. It’s vengeful, bloody, and gritty, but it’s also about companionship and finding allies in the most unlikely of places. None of the characters are perfect, the protagonist Dinklage plays isn’t some good samaritan with a heart of gold, and he’s also not some stoic one-dimensional character devoid of any emotion or growth— throughout the film, he learns a lot and changes as a person.

The cast holds such great weight in the film. Levon Hawke’s performance as Jack portrays the character to be a deeply sensitive and religious young man who goes through a powerful arc as he’s hell-bent on finding his sister. Despite Hawke’s obvious connection with his talented family (Ethan Hawke, Uma Thurman, Maya Hawke), I didn’t expect him to be such an incredible performer. There’s a subtlety in the way he speaks to different people throughout the entire film. Without giving anything away, the film opens with young Jack and his family. The way he talks to his grandfather and sister is filled with tenderness and love. But once Cut Throat Bill comes into the picture as all hell breaks loose, we see a darker and more intimidating side of him. But despite his anger, there are still moments of his tenderness shining through as displayed in one moment where he saved a sex worker named Jimmy Sue (played by Leslie Grace) from a brothel owned by a man named Hector unforgettably played by Andrew Schulz.

The rest of the ensemble was fantastic as well. James Hetfield of Metallica fame was a delightful surprise in a brief but sweet role, Macon Blair was a joy to watch (release his Toxic Avenger movie already!), but the highlight for me—and honestly the heart of the film—is Gbenga Akinnagbe as Eustace Howard, Reginald’s companion. One aspect of Western cinema I’ve always adored is the companionship. Akinnagbe’s performance is such a treat to see. 

As someone who hasn’t read the novel, I can’t judge how much departure or accuracy it has with the original source material, but as a film, it has the right amount of drama and tension a western should have. Elliot Lester’s experience directing music videos shows here, as the lighting, color grading, and usage of handheld cameras feels super authentic and modern, yet it works in the period it’s set in. In the age of digital, it’s a challenge to capture the old western look—others often look cheap, bland, or uninspired, but Lester manages to capture a good blend of classic and modern. The visual style is subtle, but it’s there and it works.

If a smaller budget indie western mystery thriller genre film with a great set of colorful characters is your thing, I think this movie is perfect for you. There’s such a compelling and captivating blend of everything we like about westerns in this movie. It has its fair share of exciting action, but the thing that lingers and resonates with me the most are the characters and writing. Dinklage also produced this film, and his work in this film feels different than anything he’s done. There’s such great nuance in the way he portrays this badass bounty hunter. If this film proves anything, it’s that western movies can still be refreshing and Peter Dinklage remains to be one of the best actors of our time.