A divorced father and his ex-con older brother resort to a desperate scheme in order to save their family's ranch in West Texas.A divorced father and his ex-con older brother resort to a desperate scheme in order to save their family's ranch in West Texas.A divorced father and his ex-con older brother resort to a desperate scheme in order to save their family's ranch in West Texas.
- Nominated for 4 Oscars
- 47 wins & 175 nominations total
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Kristin K. Berg
- Olney Telleras Olney Teller
- (as Kristin Berg)
Howard Ferguson Jr.
- Vernon PD Officeras Vernon PD Officer
- (as Howard S. Ferguson Jr.)
- Director
- Writer
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
- All cast & crew
Storyline
In Texas, after the death of his mother, the unemployed oil and gas worker Toby Howard is losing his ranch to the Texas Midlands Bank. Toby is divorced from his wife who lives with their two sons. When his brother Tanner Howard is released from the prison, they team up to rob agencies of the Texas Midlands Bank to raise money to pay the loan so that Toby may leave the real estate to his sons. Meanwhile the Texas Ranger Marcus Hamilton who is near retirement and his Native American-descendant partner Alberto Parker try to anticipate the next move of the thieves. —Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Taglines
- Blood always follows money.
- Genres
- Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)
- Rated R for some strong violence, language throughout and brief sexuality
- Parents guide
Did you know
- TriviaThe phrase "come hell or high water" typically means "do whatever needs to be done, no matter the circumstances". It also refers to the "hell or high water clause" in a contract, usually a lease, which states that the payments must continue regardless of any difficulties the paying party may encounter. Both definitions apply to different parts of the plot in this movie.
- GoofsWhen Toby is stopped at the very tense police checkpoint, it is clear that his car has no front license plate, which is illegal in Texas and therefore very noticeable to the police, but when the car was acquired it was stated that the car had a New Mexico plate, and New Mexico does not require front license plates.
- Quotes
Toby Howard: I've been poor my whole life, like a disease passing from generation to generation. But not my boys, not anymore.
- SoundtracksDollar Bill Blues
Written & Performed by Townes van Zandt (as Townes Van Zandt)
Courtesy of RCA Records Nashville
By Arrangement with Sony Music Licensing
Top review
Gritty and Engaging - Great Addition to the Crime Drama Genre!
With Taylor Sheridan as the writer and David MacKenzie at the helm, I had high hopes for this movie. Both of their last respective projects (Sheridan - Sicario, MacKenzie - Starred Up) were gritty, violent, and engaging. All of those hold true for Hell or High Water.
The main characters, Chris Pine and Ben Foster turn in great performances. Ben Foster plays the ex-con brother. And as usual, he turns in what I think was the best performance of the movie. He has a knack for playing a top notch supporting role, and often times gets overlooked. Chris Pine also nails it as the more straight laced brother. For a pretty boy of Hollywood, his portrayal is authentic. Jeff Bridges also compliments these two well as the older, sort of jaded officer. Both him and Foster even provide a good amount of laughs, but neither overdo it.
The setting of the movie really sets it above others in the genre. I would say this movie is more crime/drama or heist film than Western, but it definitely has a Western vibe due to its northwest Texas setting. The area has been hit hard by the recession, a failing farm industry, and big oil. It all makes the recklessness and danger Foster and Pine engage in that much more enjoyable, and even sort of relatable. The audience can at least sympathize with them as they do what they think is right.
Overall, this film is well worth a watch. It can be put in a league with more recent films like The Town, Drive, and The Place Beyond the Pines.
The main characters, Chris Pine and Ben Foster turn in great performances. Ben Foster plays the ex-con brother. And as usual, he turns in what I think was the best performance of the movie. He has a knack for playing a top notch supporting role, and often times gets overlooked. Chris Pine also nails it as the more straight laced brother. For a pretty boy of Hollywood, his portrayal is authentic. Jeff Bridges also compliments these two well as the older, sort of jaded officer. Both him and Foster even provide a good amount of laughs, but neither overdo it.
The setting of the movie really sets it above others in the genre. I would say this movie is more crime/drama or heist film than Western, but it definitely has a Western vibe due to its northwest Texas setting. The area has been hit hard by the recession, a failing farm industry, and big oil. It all makes the recklessness and danger Foster and Pine engage in that much more enjoyable, and even sort of relatable. The audience can at least sympathize with them as they do what they think is right.
Overall, this film is well worth a watch. It can be put in a league with more recent films like The Town, Drive, and The Place Beyond the Pines.
helpful•21944
- ehost7
- Jul 26, 2016
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Official sites
- Language
- Also known as
- Comancheria
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $12,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $27,007,844
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $621,329
- Aug 14, 2016
- Gross worldwide
- $37,999,675
- Runtime1 hour 42 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 2.35 : 1
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