It's just a fantastic movie. No explosions, no CGI, no stupid empty irritating smart ass one liners. Just a well acted movie with fantastic dialogue and characters that are believable, some mystery to make things interesting and some tension to keep you on the edge of your seat. The tempo of this movie is outstanding too. I really hope this has kicked off a new direction in movies because the last few years have been horrible.
the fact that Tim Blake Nelsons character so physically reminded me of what an aged Wiiliam Bonney would look like sold me right away this was gonna be a classic. loved it
I agree. If you had asked me if he would be the one to play this role I would have said no way. However, When I saw this movie I was blown away by his acting. He owned the role and made it his own. Now, I can't image anyone else pulling it off the way he did. Tim Blake Nelson is most certainly in my top 5 actors now. At this point, I think he could pull off any character he chose to. I'm highly impressed with the movie and the actor. Really top rate.
Tim BlakeNelson's portrayal / acting was great in my opinion. I love westerns. I've seen 3 movies he's in, Oh brother Where art Thou, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, and Old Henry. He's done one heck of a job in all of them.
Simply one the best Westerns for years , twigged the Billy The Kid connection very early on in the film , loved every minute of this to become classic western
I’ve loved Western for the past 50 years and this is my new favorite. I think the simplicity of it all and just the basic story without a bunch of extra add-ons is what made this movie so well
What made "Old Henry" work so well? Intriguing concept. Excellent script. Terrific performances. Art direction that imparted a grittiness and a sense of realism rather than making the environment look pretty (although some shots are oil-painting-perfect). Also, the editing heightens dangerous scenes and renders quiet scenes as more pensive. All in all, it is a great movie put together by a team of consummate professionals. I had no preconceptions when I started watching it, and knew nothing about it. I noticed the hints regarding his identity just enough to wonder about it, not enough to distract from the story. So ... a gem of a film.
I just stumbled on this movie earlier this evening and enjoyed it immensely. The lead actors performance along with the overall feel of the picture were highlights. Bravo to this director and his cast.
I really liked this movie As the movie was rolling I wasn't really sure if Old Henry was Billy the Kid but when it became clear that he was, I cheered because I knew that a good old fashioned ass whipping was about to take place. Great movie.
For me, it was watching a superbly written story unfold on screen. Then there was an A-Ha moment, when it kicked in. I said to myself, Hot Damn....this is Billy The Kid! Awesome movie....excellent twist.
Completely agree. I was aware of his work but this film made me take notice. He owned this role! I think his career is getting ready to move up a few steps.
Only just seen this movie and knew nothing about it except the trailer when going into it. It's sublime. Tim Blake Nelson is exemplary and even without the reveal of Henry's true identity he looks astonishingly like the old photos from the time. What a stunning achievement.
I think Tim B. Nelson made this movie. His personal appearance, scrubby non-heroic and down right plain appearance with his greasy unkempt hair hanging in his face - now that is a real westerner, farmer and common man look that is better then any I have ever seen. The legends of the old west were not well groomed handsome people, but just plain common folks. They pull fast and shoot straight because they do it often to kill that rattlesnake or take down the fox in the hen house. Tim B. Nelson was 110 % common folk. It is the common folk who draw the fastest and shoot the straightest, it is not the handsome groomed man or the beautiful woman that saves the world; it is always just common dog faced salt of the earth that saves the World.
Old Henry was an excellent movie. When I was a kid, I often ran around the (1950s) abandoned 'infamous" Yuma Prison! Lots of names carved in those prison walls.
For me the movie worked so well as I went in blind. I hadn’t read much about it so the entire Billy the Kid reveal was a complete surprise to me. This absolutely blew me away. As it is a hidden western gem I have surprised several western loving friends by telling them not to read anything about it but just watch it. They are also so thankful for not knowing this. Aren’t the best films always the ones with an unexpected, unspoiled twist at the end that completely blew you away?
I actually came across this movie by accident and loved it. Tim Blake Nelson was incredible in this movie. Thanks for the insights regarding this movie. I need to watch it again. Two Thumbs Up movie!!!
What did you think of Old Henry? 🤔 Why do you think it made such an impact? Also quick CORRECTION: ignore me when I said it made over forty million at the box office, it was indeed $42,068 as shown, my bad!
Gave me chills, that scene when he got his gun, walked past his son, while the other guy was relaying what he saw the night the Kid was killed, and it all became apparent as to who he really was…..
I 2nd Loch Taupo's comment. I caught the nuances early on in the movie. However when he stood up putting the hat on and looked towards the door, I called my son-in-law, a western junkie like myself, and shouted out "OMG its Billy the Kid❗❗". It still took my breath away 🙌🏼😲🐦🇨🇦
Old Henry is a magnificent film. The story, the writing, the performances and the direction are all top notch. If one is going to base a story on the Kid surviving that 1881 July night in Fort Sumner (he didn't), this makes for a much more believable narrative than the "Brushy Bill Roberts" fantasy that Young Guns III will have to follow. That plot is based on the tall tales of a man who made such absurd claims of accomplishment as to exceed what all the famous Old West figures in real history achieved combined. It's that far fetched. Old Henry, in contrast, has the Kid just disappearing from public view and leading a common life. Several of the actual men who rode with the Kid in the Lincoln County war (and after) did exactly that. They left New Mexico and started over, many living deep into the 20th century. To me, that is the best part of the story, taking the basic element that the kid survived and carrying it through a believable story line.
The movie's mood was established at the beginning and never interrupted by non-sequiturs (ie; females). Female characters in this film would have changed the entire dynamic between Henry and his adversaries by needlessly complicating those relationships. This was a lean, mean western.
I really enjoyed this western movie not very authentic but very creative and beautifully filmed and now Amazon has their own Prime show be the Billy Kid in that show his protector of a town in forcing his own justice
Huge western fan, this was a great movie which I have in my collection. Great casting and performances by the cast, really enjoyed the movie, got shivers when they finally realized he was Billy the Kid.
The movie has simple (but complex! ) intrigue at every turn and you never quite knew what was over the next hill or outside the farm house door. The juxtaposition of the young son being the only honest character was awesome. Great writing, great casting, realistic build up to an 'ending'. Love this movie.Can' t praise this movie enough!
Crazy how underrated this movie is… The only thing that bothered me was the end action scene when it was like who won against seven everybody was a little too trigger, shy until they weren’t.
🤘 Got the CD of " Old Henry " as a birthday gift from my son ( got a LARGE collection of Westerns ), and thought, what's this about ? ( knew nothing about this movie ). Well like usual my son "killed it". Best recent Western movie made since "Hostiles".
"Old Henry," a tale set in the rugged frontier of the old Wild West, captures the very essence of the era's storytelling. Picture this: a lone farmstead, with vast, untamed lands stretching far as the eye can see. A lone farmer, Henry, a man of quiet strength and mysterious past, tills this land. His world's as simple as the soil he turns, yet as complex as the storms that rage above. Then, like a twist in a gunslinger's tale, a stranger arrives, wounded and weary, with a satchel of secrets and a posse of trouble hot on his heels. This moment, this fateful encounter, spins a yarn of suspense and moral quandary. It's like peering through the dusty saloon doors into a world where right and wrong blur like the horizon on a scorching day. "Old Henry" ain't just a story of gunfights and outlaws, though it's got plenty of that, make no mistake. It's a deep dive into the soul of a man, the nature of fatherhood, and the burdens of a past that's as hard to shake off as the dust of the trail. Tim Blake Nelson, embodying Henry, delivers a performance as raw and real as the leather on a cowboy's saddle. His portrayal speaks to the heart of what it means to be a protector, a survivor in a land where only the toughest, the wiliest, and the most resolute can thrive. Director Potsy Ponciroli, he paints this tale with strokes both broad and fine, capturing the beauty and brutality of the West. The cinematography, it's like each frame's a painting, telling a story all its own of this harsh, yet mesmerising world. The film doesn't just show you the West; it immerses you in it, with every gunshot echoing like a thunderclap in the vastness of the plains. In short, "Old Henry" is a testament to the enduring allure of Western tales. It's a story that grabs hold of you like a wild stallion and doesn't let go, a reminder of why these stories of the old West, with their heroes and villains, their morals and their misdeeds, continue to captivate us. It's a film that stands as tall and proud as a lone cowboy against a setting sun, a true homage to the spirit of the Wild West.
Best part of the movie was the scene in the wheat field and the sensation of the men tracking Henry that there was something going on with him that they didn't quite understand but that bothered them deeply, the part where one of the mentions that the man they're looking for knows how to cover his tracks. That little bit of dialog set up the whole rest of the movie brilliantly.
The manic gun fight scene. Every great western treatment I’ve read describes gunfights not as quick draw fights, but as being able to be quick and accurate. Also, the fact it wasn’t the never ending revolver type gunfights. Showing the gunmen fire 6 times, realise their gun is empty, reload, and then continue shooting. That clinched it for me.
Great movie, went in blind but started to notice clues as the story was going on, it's one of my new favorite westerns. I think of this as an unofficial sequel to the young guns movies, so now when I re watch them I watch this as well.
I loved this movie. Went into it blind and thinking this was just another "mysterious badass with a past" getting revenge on unknowing bad guys. Normally, I'm really good at catching clues early one, but I have to admit, I turned a blind eye to them and was caught off guard at the reveal. Casting was great.
After Pat Garrett shot Billy the Kid at the end of Young Guns II, Billy dreamed he was tearing up the desert as Buster Scruggs. When he woke up years later, he was Old Henry 😛
I loved it. It was clean, direct, and unconventional. I knew it was Billy the Kid when he opened the chest in the closet. The clippings gave it up immediately. Great reveal, though, and a good ending.
Regarding Open Range...as a U.S. Marine combat vet, I was very happy to see the Old Henry gunfights didn't have any 12 shot revolvers like Open Range did (nor any 100/200 round capacity mags like the bank shootout in Heat that all the fan boys rave about being realistic)..from what I saw/counted, all the gunfights honored the six shooter reload requirement.
Outstanding movie! As a history buff I figured out who he was right away. But I enjoyed how it developed to show who it was. Enjoyed this movie so much I’ve rewatched it quite a few times.
Excellent western and movie! An interesting twist to the Billy The Kid story, truth and fiction. I’ve seen Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid, both Young Guns, Dirty Little Billy which is an excellent western itself…even Paul Neuman played Billy in the Left Handed Gun by Arthur Hill. Whatever happed to Henry McCarty, Tim’s portrayal gave it a lot of credibility and realism.
It really caught me off guard that Henry was William Bonney. I really likeed it that that his identity was kept under wraps the way it was. Not even letting his son know but his brother-in-law knew his secret past.
I'm a huge fan of the BTK lore, so this movie was a must for me. The best thing about this movie was the acting. The whole cast was incredible. Anybody else playing the kid would have been a disappointment. Nelson was spectacular.
He does a gun spin in the final shootout. Its a blink and you miss it moment just before he jumps back in the house through the window. It is so fast i had to see it at 0.25x speed to make sure.
Truly a great Western Movie. Well written and with a capable cast. Beautiful scenery and very believable that this was what really happened to Billy the Kidd. 💪🏻🙏🏻✨
Old Henry is like John Wick: both feature a compelling lead with a complex backstory we have to figure out gradually over time as the movie slowly feeds us clues. Old Henry hides a gun, and clippings, and seems to know just how to handle a bank robber, posse, etc. Not exactly what you'd expect from a simple farmer. Both clearly want escape and closure from a past that won't let them go.
What an awesome movie I never thought a billy the kid movie would ever come close to the quality of the young guns franchise but this 1 did it such an awesome movie
I love this film. Tim Blake Nelson was a perfect casting especially when you look at the famous tintype photo of Henry McCarty aka William H Bonney aka Billy The Kid
Loved Old Henry. Liked the persona of the bad guy and his tenacious pursuit of Henry. Liked the attempt at personal redemption caped off by the God Father “they drag you back in” twist concerning Henry. The mix of old and new “relatively” handguns was cool. All in all just a great film for guys to enjoy. A romance involving a woman would have unnecessarily distracted from its hard edge.
Why I think this movie worked so well: It was a good movie. Hear that Hollywood? Not some preachy junk with a social agenda, and not some pablum remake of a former great movie, just a very good movie. My opinion, you're welcome to yours, out here.
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