THE OLD WAY
Starring: Nicolas Cage, Ryan Kiera Armstrong, Noah Le Gros, Clint Howard, Shiloh Fernandez, Nick Searcy, and Abraham Benrubi
Director: Brett Donowho
QUENTIN
As far as westerns go, The Old Way is nothing remarkable, playing out like a dime store True Grit knockoff, but it’s not a total loss. Tonally, it’s kinda weird, randomly bouncing from jaunty to menacing, an issue made even more noticeable by the conflicting musical choices. However, the performances, while not career-making, are better than what a straight-to-VOD movie in January deserves, and the chemistry between Nic Cage and Ryan Kiera Armstrong carries the movie enough to make it a decent, if forgettable, watch. All that said, it admittedly feels like a movie left over from before Cage’s comeback.
DARRYL
The Old Way delivers nothing new or exciting, nor does it elevate the Western genre in any meaningful way. It’s a rote story that fails to take any risks or deviate from its straightforward storytelling, making the 95-minute runtime a sweet blessing. It’s also hindered by a hammy screenplay that borrows from some of the greats without adding its own flavor, which makes for a clichéd by-the-numbers story that was a dime a dozen in the 1950s. In a role unsuited to his talents, Nic Cage’s wooden performance is only slightly balanced by the gleeful nature of Noah Le Gros’.
