Of course this could have been better, but I enjoyed the story and it inspired me to research Bass Reeves
72 Reviews
Not bad
a_askew-493-7043027 September 2020
Background score
dhillon-664-5585121 July 2020
The real Lone Ranger.
cwstrgzr22 December 2019
How to make a bad western for dummies.
deloudelouvain6 April 2020
What a disappointed this movie was! Westerns are not the easiest movies to make, most of the time it's just macho behavior against other machos. In this movie it's basically the same but in contrast with good westerns (where they have good actors that can play mean vilains, like Eastwood, Van Cleef and others) you now get a movie full of machos but played by bad actors and a very lousy directing. What the hell was Ron Perlman thinking to play in this movie? Did he read the script? Was he desperate for a role? It's certainly one of the worst if not the worst movie he ever played in. The story of Bass Reeves sounded like an interesting story to make a movie about, but this is just an insult to his story. Wes Miller did a messed up job writing this story and he did an even worse job directing it. People getting gut and leg shots look like they could run a marathon two minutes later, it's just beyond ridiculous. The drawing of the guns in the usual face offs you get in westerns are so slow it's just laughable and painful to watch. There is absolutely nothing good about this western, probably one of the worst westerns I ever watched, certainly in my top three of stinkers in this genre. And then you got the music which absolutely didn't fit in this movie, very irritating. In fact the whole movie irritated me, couldn't wait for the end to come.
Familiar Formula, Cheap and Lousy Execution
TwistedContent13 December 2019
Despite the obvious b-grade quality, Ron Perlman, Frank Grillo and the genre of western was enough for me to give it a try - I do occasionally enjoy the little movies with good ol' actors just having a fun time. Well, "Hell on the Border" is probably the lousiest western I've seen so far, but, thankfully, not entirely without a heart.
In the most aspects of filmmaking, "Hell on the Border" is weak and painfully cliché. The plot, based on the true story of Bass Reeves, the first black U.S. marshall, is stitched together from arcs that we've seen a hundred times before & in a hundred better movies. I mean, there's literally not one hint of originality in "Hell on the Border". Same applies to the characters, though the duo of David Gyasi and Ron Perlman was at least mildly entertaining to watch. Frank Grillo, the villain, did a fine job. In portraying a mostly boring character. A pacing that drags constantly & a high predictability factor - these are a few additional "qualities" this movie possesses. Most frustratingly, "Hell on the Border" is also a mess regarding all technical and aesthetical means - the cinematography is boring, even sketchy, the lighting & color grading's effortless and way too amateur, the whole movie has a drab, grey-ish, even ugly look. Some random shots are extra grainy. To make it all worse, the original score was massively overused & it was as cheap as everything else in this flick. Most of the action sequences were wack and unrealistic. For a 2019 movie with such actors, even for the usual b-movie, "Hell on the Border" is technically embarrassing.
When I said it has a heart, I meant only the aforementioned acting duo of David Gyasi and Ron Perlman, plus the extremely conventional story line - yes, conventional, not entirely useless. Nevertheless, I recommend "Hell on the Water" to absolutely no one, except if you're sold on the same things I was. You have been warned though. My rating: 3/10.
In the most aspects of filmmaking, "Hell on the Border" is weak and painfully cliché. The plot, based on the true story of Bass Reeves, the first black U.S. marshall, is stitched together from arcs that we've seen a hundred times before & in a hundred better movies. I mean, there's literally not one hint of originality in "Hell on the Border". Same applies to the characters, though the duo of David Gyasi and Ron Perlman was at least mildly entertaining to watch. Frank Grillo, the villain, did a fine job. In portraying a mostly boring character. A pacing that drags constantly & a high predictability factor - these are a few additional "qualities" this movie possesses. Most frustratingly, "Hell on the Border" is also a mess regarding all technical and aesthetical means - the cinematography is boring, even sketchy, the lighting & color grading's effortless and way too amateur, the whole movie has a drab, grey-ish, even ugly look. Some random shots are extra grainy. To make it all worse, the original score was massively overused & it was as cheap as everything else in this flick. Most of the action sequences were wack and unrealistic. For a 2019 movie with such actors, even for the usual b-movie, "Hell on the Border" is technically embarrassing.
When I said it has a heart, I meant only the aforementioned acting duo of David Gyasi and Ron Perlman, plus the extremely conventional story line - yes, conventional, not entirely useless. Nevertheless, I recommend "Hell on the Water" to absolutely no one, except if you're sold on the same things I was. You have been warned though. My rating: 3/10.
Sadly, it just doesn't work
Wizard-819 July 2020
Given that African Americans haven't been represented well in the western film genre despite in real life having a big impact during the days of the wild west, I was really interested in seeing this movie, especially since it was based on a real African American lawman (Bass Reeves). But whatever your ethnicity may be, I am pretty sure that you will find this movie to be simply terrible.
The portrayal of Bass Reeves here is extremely unsatisfying. About all that the movie can think of to do with this character is for him to regularly meet people who are racist and/or doubtful he can do the job, and brood silently about it. If they had really explored this character deeply, I'm sure things would have been better.
However, even if great effort had been made to portray Bass Reeves in a multidimensional manner, the movie would still have been pretty awful. Right from the start, viewers will see that the movie did not have much of a budget - cinematography looks almost like VHS quality, the locations are drab and boring, there's not much in the way of props, the costumes look too clean and too new, and the sets are really flimsy and cheap.
Probably due to this pittance of a budget, the filmmakers didn't seem able to put in a lot of spectacle. The movie is really slow-moving, with a lot of (cliched) dialogue instead of action and a swift pace.
I'm sure the filmmakers had their heart in the right place, but the end results indicate that they should have waited to get a bigger budget (and a better script) before filming started. As it is, it's yet another Lions Gate / Grindstone production that's way below par.
The portrayal of Bass Reeves here is extremely unsatisfying. About all that the movie can think of to do with this character is for him to regularly meet people who are racist and/or doubtful he can do the job, and brood silently about it. If they had really explored this character deeply, I'm sure things would have been better.
However, even if great effort had been made to portray Bass Reeves in a multidimensional manner, the movie would still have been pretty awful. Right from the start, viewers will see that the movie did not have much of a budget - cinematography looks almost like VHS quality, the locations are drab and boring, there's not much in the way of props, the costumes look too clean and too new, and the sets are really flimsy and cheap.
Probably due to this pittance of a budget, the filmmakers didn't seem able to put in a lot of spectacle. The movie is really slow-moving, with a lot of (cliched) dialogue instead of action and a swift pace.
I'm sure the filmmakers had their heart in the right place, but the end results indicate that they should have waited to get a bigger budget (and a better script) before filming started. As it is, it's yet another Lions Gate / Grindstone production that's way below par.
Missed the mark
twilight77884 February 2020
A fictional storyline about a non-fictional man. The film opens with a declaration that black cowboys have been left out of history and this movie still leaves them out of history. Bass Reeves was a very interesting figure in history. This movie would've proven better if it had actually told his story instead of trying to create one. Reeves was a bad ass. The man stood 6'2" at time when the average man was 5'6". He was born into slavery, fought in the war, ran away for freedom, lived with Indians and learned their languages, and was the first black US Marshall. He served over 30 years in law enforcement and brought in over 3000 fugitives. He even had to bring in his son for the murder of his wife. This movie is very disappointing. Don't waste your time.
"...you won't find a man more loyal to the law!"
classicsoncall22 November 2020
Warning: Spoilers
From the time I was a kid in the Fifties to the present day, I've seem just about every imaginable TV Western along with hundreds of Western movies, and I'd never heard of Bass Reeves until I ran across Bill O'Reilly's "Legends and Lies" episode dealing with the former frontier lawman. Subtitled 'The Real Lone Ranger', that show made a tenuous connection between Reeves and the fictional character created by George Trendle and Fran Striker. I pretty much disregard that since in all my years, there's never been a mention of Bass Reeves in anything I've seen, read or heard about regarding The Lone Ranger, except of course, for that one program.
I had a little more hope for the picture under consideration here than what was achieved in the final product. Instead of an expansive look at Bass Reeves' career, it basically focused on a single event involving the lawman pursuing a noted outlaw in the Indian Territory near Fort Smith, Arkansas. David Gyasi portrays Reeves in a rather subdued role, showing not much emotion during the entire time he tracked gunman Bob Dozier (Frank Grillo), with the help of laid back outlaw Charlie Storm (Ron Perlman). It's hoped by Storm that he wins a pardon for his crimes if he and Reeves can bring in Dozier dead or alive, entrusted with the mission by territorial judge Isaac Parker (Manu Intiraymi). The story manages to interject a few famous names of the Old West when Dozier runs into Frank and Jesse James and their gal pal, Belle Starr. The name of Pinkerton also attaches to a Reeves posse man, with the first name Tom (Gianni Capaldi), though no connection is made to the Pinkerton Detective Agency of the era.
Overall the picture has a made for TV feel and runs under two hours. It has sort of an anti-climactic resolution at the finale, as bad guy Dozier is killed following a shootout and the body brought back to Fort Smith. For his effort, Bass Reeves receives a well deserved appointment as a Deputy U.S. Marshal, against the opposition of a U.S. Senator and a disgruntled fellow Marshal. Mention is made by way of character Jessie Winston (Ashley Atwood) that Reeves will be busy pursuing a huge stack of arrest warrants in the territory. Over the course of his career, it's estimated that the real Bass Reeves arrested over three thousand criminals, and killed a total of fourteen men. Given the scope of his career as a lawman, I thought a bit more could have been done with this production. In a way, it viewed as slightly better than a B Western of the Forties and Fifties.
I had a little more hope for the picture under consideration here than what was achieved in the final product. Instead of an expansive look at Bass Reeves' career, it basically focused on a single event involving the lawman pursuing a noted outlaw in the Indian Territory near Fort Smith, Arkansas. David Gyasi portrays Reeves in a rather subdued role, showing not much emotion during the entire time he tracked gunman Bob Dozier (Frank Grillo), with the help of laid back outlaw Charlie Storm (Ron Perlman). It's hoped by Storm that he wins a pardon for his crimes if he and Reeves can bring in Dozier dead or alive, entrusted with the mission by territorial judge Isaac Parker (Manu Intiraymi). The story manages to interject a few famous names of the Old West when Dozier runs into Frank and Jesse James and their gal pal, Belle Starr. The name of Pinkerton also attaches to a Reeves posse man, with the first name Tom (Gianni Capaldi), though no connection is made to the Pinkerton Detective Agency of the era.
Overall the picture has a made for TV feel and runs under two hours. It has sort of an anti-climactic resolution at the finale, as bad guy Dozier is killed following a shootout and the body brought back to Fort Smith. For his effort, Bass Reeves receives a well deserved appointment as a Deputy U.S. Marshal, against the opposition of a U.S. Senator and a disgruntled fellow Marshal. Mention is made by way of character Jessie Winston (Ashley Atwood) that Reeves will be busy pursuing a huge stack of arrest warrants in the territory. Over the course of his career, it's estimated that the real Bass Reeves arrested over three thousand criminals, and killed a total of fourteen men. Given the scope of his career as a lawman, I thought a bit more could have been done with this production. In a way, it viewed as slightly better than a B Western of the Forties and Fifties.
You can't be serious....
shawn-560553 March 2020
Gotta dissent from the negative reviews
cyranoj226516 August 2020
Warning: Spoilers
As an introductory Bass Reeves adventure, kicking off the career of the historical figure and serving up some solid Western gunslinging in the process, I thought this was great. I was actually pleasantly surprised to learn this was a Bass Reeves movie and that it was pretty well-done.
I can't speak to the historicity of it: I only know Bass Reeves' storied career in outline. I *do* know that it's only an introduction of the character and the beginning of his career, though, and that it's clearly conceived as the beginning of a series, so I personally would discount reviews that are damning it for not conveying the full historical breadth of Reeves' character and accomplishments as being irrelevant.
Did Reeves have to fight through prejudice to get his star? I do not know. I *do* know that it feels evocative of the waning era of Reconstruction, that the inclusion of a group of Kansas exodusters is on-point for the time, that the actors do fine work with the material (including the villain), and that all the basic beats of the early stages of the Reeves story are here. If some of it is fictionalized, I'm not too fussed: the fiction hangs together and makes for a fun Western adventure story and we get plenty of excellent gunslinging action.
I was surprised to find all the negative reviews here, honestly. It's a competent Western, not *particularly* spectacular but certainly fun and captivating, and I hope the further entries in the series they clearly envisioned actually happen. If they do, I'll seek them out.
I can't speak to the historicity of it: I only know Bass Reeves' storied career in outline. I *do* know that it's only an introduction of the character and the beginning of his career, though, and that it's clearly conceived as the beginning of a series, so I personally would discount reviews that are damning it for not conveying the full historical breadth of Reeves' character and accomplishments as being irrelevant.
Did Reeves have to fight through prejudice to get his star? I do not know. I *do* know that it feels evocative of the waning era of Reconstruction, that the inclusion of a group of Kansas exodusters is on-point for the time, that the actors do fine work with the material (including the villain), and that all the basic beats of the early stages of the Reeves story are here. If some of it is fictionalized, I'm not too fussed: the fiction hangs together and makes for a fun Western adventure story and we get plenty of excellent gunslinging action.
I was surprised to find all the negative reviews here, honestly. It's a competent Western, not *particularly* spectacular but certainly fun and captivating, and I hope the further entries in the series they clearly envisioned actually happen. If they do, I'll seek them out.
Not a masterpiece but....
catrachotyson-5241121 July 2020
It's definitely about time they made a movie about this guy. Yeah, so this obviously didnt have a big budget but the story is not bad and the guy playing the lead is actually likeable. All i van say is that the movie kept me entertained and i didnt feel like i wanted the hour and a half i spent watching it back. Ron Pearlman gives this movie some legitimacy and is always fun to watch. So yeah, not a masterpiece but not bad at all
Awesome idea.... Horrible execution.
tman-2128911 January 2020
This movie had the potential to be amazing. I mean it was acted well but with WAY too many music scenes over riding and long drawn out moments of boredom.
Somebody should take this idea up again and make it great!! This was just too bland.
Somebody should take this idea up again and make it great!! This was just too bland.
A primary school project gone wrong
nhirsteurope-5995718 March 2020
This truly is amateur hour. Clearly there is a story worth telling and, at times, you feel there is a good film struggling to get out but it is totally prevented from doing so by the sheer incompetence of most everyone involved. I thought the presence of the great Ron Perlman might be a guarantee of some level of quality, but he just phones his performance in - long distance!
You know you're in trouble when you spot a really bad edit in the first five minutes, then in the first shoot out there is some truly risible edits as the director tries to recreate the tension of a Sergio Leone gun fight - but fails so miserably! By this time the film is starting to look like it was a primary school project that just went wrong. And, let's face it, I should have guessed from the title...it's just pants. I was allowing myself to be led by my nostalgia for that truly great western series - 'Hell on Wheels'. Obviously the producers were looking to try and cash in on a spurious connection.
But the worst thing of all is the music, the constant and utterly dreadful incidental music. Except it's not that incidental, it pretty much drowns everything else out. Why film and TV makers feel that it is necessary to have music all the way through beats me. Trying to guide us what to think and, truth be known, to cover up some ropey plots and dialogue. This was about as bad as it gets. Whoever was responsible (and I really can't be bothered to look up the name) should meet the fate of many of the main characters adverseries...but with better editing! Avoid - you'll never get that 1 hour 50 minutes of your life back.
You know you're in trouble when you spot a really bad edit in the first five minutes, then in the first shoot out there is some truly risible edits as the director tries to recreate the tension of a Sergio Leone gun fight - but fails so miserably! By this time the film is starting to look like it was a primary school project that just went wrong. And, let's face it, I should have guessed from the title...it's just pants. I was allowing myself to be led by my nostalgia for that truly great western series - 'Hell on Wheels'. Obviously the producers were looking to try and cash in on a spurious connection.
But the worst thing of all is the music, the constant and utterly dreadful incidental music. Except it's not that incidental, it pretty much drowns everything else out. Why film and TV makers feel that it is necessary to have music all the way through beats me. Trying to guide us what to think and, truth be known, to cover up some ropey plots and dialogue. This was about as bad as it gets. Whoever was responsible (and I really can't be bothered to look up the name) should meet the fate of many of the main characters adverseries...but with better editing! Avoid - you'll never get that 1 hour 50 minutes of your life back.
Lame amateurish production unworthy of the true story
daithiosioradain12 January 2020
Where to start with the issues? Buildings with beautifully fresh and smoothly sawn walls, houses with aluminium roofs, six shooters that didn't need reloading, disjointed action sequences moving at glacial speeds......
Camerawork was crude, used jerkiness and lens flare etc to no benefit.
One of the worst films I've seen in the last year, this was inconsistent, uneven, unrealistic and frankly has nothing to commend it except that it chose a story that should be told. Avoid.
useless
wjosephjorob14 December 2019
This shot in somebody's backyard production could use a better script and then some, when you're going to adapt a movie about a Legendary Lawman at least try to make it watchable, the actors didn't really have a lot to work with on this project, I was hoping one day some studio would do a film on Bass Reeves, but this is not the one, I am grateful either way for the effort.
The budget sinks it
Leofwine_draca29 October 2020
Warning: Spoilers
HELL ON THE BORDER is a pretty disappointing indie-style western that feels like amateur hour at times. I find the western genre lends itself to proper budgets: you need to be able to convincingly portray townships and the rugged landscapes associated with this genre, and a bunch of guys chatting in a closed set doesn't really cut it. The visuals are all wrong although the cast, which includes turns from Ron Perlman and Frank Grillo, isn't bad. But it's the budget, or lack thereof, that sinks this one.
No lie, It's a decent movie.
misty-892423 October 2020
Unlike other ridiculous reviews, I'll keep it real. Its not 100% period accurate visually and with its dialogue but its a B movie. Gotta overlook that stuff. This was a decent watchable movie. Nothing new with the plot but the storyline keeps you entertained. Acting wasn't top notch but it was good. Fight scenes were a little slow and lacking but not terrible. I didnt like the repeated gunshot sfx but For a B movie its def one of the better ones and worth a watch.
Fabulous idea, poorly executed.
silent_whispers2 April 2020
I love a movie that tries to tell us a truth. Something that history has forgotten. Such as the "African American Cowboy", or the "black cowboy". As the beginning text noted the subject is avoided in history and it's rare in all medias of entertainment. (Though let's not forget Django Unchained.) Hell on the Border is based on a true story and a fascinating one at that.
I have to give props to all the actors involved. They did a great job. My hats off to them for desperately trying to save this movie. Bravo.
Because this is not what I would call a B-grade movie. No. No. B-grade movies are waaaaaay better. The script meanders too much and is dragged out to accommodate huge musical pieces that were clearly made for this movie. Yes, the songs were beautiful. Sadly I think more care and attention went into the songs and drawing out already boring scenes to the point of tears. ^_-
The movie could have been snipped and cut in many places and shortened. Oddly enough the editing and piecing together of fight scenes and shoot outs . . . I have no proper words. I can't imagine anyone working on this film thought "yeah, that looks good". It was so jarring that I can't believe they simply didn't hire a student of film to fix it needing credits for college. Or use basic tricks of the trade to make the action scenes flow better. Anything! It felt like someone on Youtube poking fun at independent films. It was funny to laugh at until you realized someone thought this was acceptable.
Hell on the Border tries too hard to be another western. Despite that it's trying to tell us something unique. To be unique. This sadly is not the worst western I've seen. It's a bit odd but since 2017 there's been a resurgence of crap westerns being made. Hell on the Border falls into that category despite the actors best efforts. Moments where you can tell the actors are absolutely enjoying themselves were fun! Sadly the script and crap editing of the movie kills any potential the film had.
I have to give props to all the actors involved. They did a great job. My hats off to them for desperately trying to save this movie. Bravo.
Because this is not what I would call a B-grade movie. No. No. B-grade movies are waaaaaay better. The script meanders too much and is dragged out to accommodate huge musical pieces that were clearly made for this movie. Yes, the songs were beautiful. Sadly I think more care and attention went into the songs and drawing out already boring scenes to the point of tears. ^_-
The movie could have been snipped and cut in many places and shortened. Oddly enough the editing and piecing together of fight scenes and shoot outs . . . I have no proper words. I can't imagine anyone working on this film thought "yeah, that looks good". It was so jarring that I can't believe they simply didn't hire a student of film to fix it needing credits for college. Or use basic tricks of the trade to make the action scenes flow better. Anything! It felt like someone on Youtube poking fun at independent films. It was funny to laugh at until you realized someone thought this was acceptable.
Hell on the Border tries too hard to be another western. Despite that it's trying to tell us something unique. To be unique. This sadly is not the worst western I've seen. It's a bit odd but since 2017 there's been a resurgence of crap westerns being made. Hell on the Border falls into that category despite the actors best efforts. Moments where you can tell the actors are absolutely enjoying themselves were fun! Sadly the script and crap editing of the movie kills any potential the film had.
Great Movie!
milligancharm16 February 2020
I bought this on a whim because I love westerns and the story seemed intriguing. It was. I thought this was a very good movie. Very well acted with characters you care about and some good classic western action. I have been growing tired of the westerns that have no heroes that seems to be the thing lately. The main character is refreshing because he is tough as nails, and yet is heroic and sacrificial in his service for justice. It is based on a true story, or they play real historical characters at least, which makes it all the more interesting. The soundtrack was fun also with a primarily single guitar just like a western should have, but with some interesting modern music thrown in to add emotion to some scenes. It was effective. Super fun movie.
On a different note, I am getting tired of this site because of all the ridiculous negative reviews on every movie title. They are not helpful because they all are versions of "it is bad." I don't even pay any attention to them anymore, but it used to distract me. Who wastes time reviewing a movie they hated? (If, in fact, they actually watched it...) This movie's negative reviews do not match what was on the screen and are very harsh for what the film is. If you like westerns this is a worthy watch for something different.
On a different note, I am getting tired of this site because of all the ridiculous negative reviews on every movie title. They are not helpful because they all are versions of "it is bad." I don't even pay any attention to them anymore, but it used to distract me. Who wastes time reviewing a movie they hated? (If, in fact, they actually watched it...) This movie's negative reviews do not match what was on the screen and are very harsh for what the film is. If you like westerns this is a worthy watch for something different.
Worth the watch for its historical value!
pufvbz3 September 2020
I appreciate the movie because it gave me the opportunity to learn more about a part of American history that isn't widely known and documented even less. The headlining characters acted well... the supporting cast, not so much. That doesn't take away from the overall movie which was again, worth the watch. If reading about doesn't interest you, this movie is an entertaining way to learn about American history.
Holy christ this is bad...
camwglenn10 December 2020
I'm at a loss for words. I can't imagine how somebody could take such an interesting story and do this to it. I've seen better acting in 'adult' movies. Brutally bad dialogue, production value of a Rhonda Sheer Up-All-Night movie (for all you folks old enough to remember.)... I mean I..... I'm struggling to write this.
This is the best way I can put it: it's like Spike Lee gave his 17 year old son $10k and said 'go get em tiger, I'll be hanging out with Sam Jackson and Chucky B, just let me know when you're done'
Seriously this thing is bad. And I don't mean 'it's so bad it's funny' bad like a Steven Seagal or a JCVD. I mean 'reheated french fry' bad. Abandon all hope, ye who choose to wade this swamp...
This is the best way I can put it: it's like Spike Lee gave his 17 year old son $10k and said 'go get em tiger, I'll be hanging out with Sam Jackson and Chucky B, just let me know when you're done'
Seriously this thing is bad. And I don't mean 'it's so bad it's funny' bad like a Steven Seagal or a JCVD. I mean 'reheated french fry' bad. Abandon all hope, ye who choose to wade this swamp...
Need to hire professional behind the scene.
darabisam6 September 2020
So Much Potential, But Disappointing
crestfalleen8 June 2020
I was really looking forward to this movie because I've seen some documentaries about Bass Reeves and his awesomeness. The man was awesome. This move is not. The acting is subpar, the use of modern music in this western style movie doesn't help it at all, it so hurts it. This really could have been a great movie in the vein of the old westerns of the 60's and 70's. But it wasn't. Please avoid this movie and just find a documentary about the great Bass Reeves.
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