Old Henry (2021)
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A farmer in the Oklahoma Territory must protect his son from a group of outlaws while hiding a secret past.
The story
In 1906, widower Henry McCarty and his son Wyatt live on a farm in the Oklahoma Territory. When a wounded man named Curry appears on their land with a satchel of money, Henry takes him in, only to discover Curry is a sheriff fleeing a gang of outlaws. As the outlaws, led by Sam Ketchum, arrive at the farm to reclaim the money, Henry must navigate a tense standoff. The situation becomes increasingly dangerous as the men claim Curry is the outlaw, forcing Henry to decide how far he will go to protect his son and their home from the approaching threat.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 1906, widower Henry McCarty and his son Wyatt live on a farm in the Oklahoma Territory. When a wounded man named Curry appears with a satchel of money, Henry takes him in. Curry reveals he is a sheriff fleeing outlaws led by Sam Ketchum. When the outlaws arrive, they claim Curry is the outlaw. During a tense standoff, Henry kills one of the men, Dugan. Later, Ketchum's gang returns and takes Henry's brother-in-law, Al, hostage. When Henry refuses to surrender, Ketchum shoots Al. During the ensuing gunfight, Curry realizes Henry is actually the legendary outlaw Billy the Kid, who faked his death. Henry defeats the gang, but is wounded by Curry, who reveals he was a corrupt sheriff. Wyatt kills Curry before he can shoot Henry again. Before dying, Henry expresses pride in his son, who then buries his father and leaves the farm with the gang's money.
- First release year
- 2021
- Runtime (minutes)
- 99
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Potsy Ponciroli
- Writers
- Potsy Ponciroli · writer
- Cast and characters
- Tim Blake Nelson · Henry; Scott Haze; Gavin Lewis; Trace Adkins; Stephen Dorff
- Genres
- western; action; drama; thriller
- Themes
- identity; fatherhood; legacy
- Tone and mood
- somber; tense
- Setting
- Oklahoma Territory, 1906
- Premise and plot tags
- Western; Action; Survival
- Reception
- The film was critically acclaimed for its story, direction, and lead performance, described as a beautiful elegy and a well-crafted exercise in Western tropes.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 69 · scale: 100 · review count: 18
- Awards and nominations
- Best Feature Film · Almería Western Film Festival · 2021 · Win; Top Ten Independent Films · National Board of Review · 2021 · Selection
- Production trivia
- The film was a sleeper hit on VOD, staying in the top ten on iTunes for two months.; The film features only one gun spin as a 'punctuation' in the finale.; Tim Blake Nelson spent six months researching his character's movement and sound.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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