The Old Way (2023) User Reviews

Solid western in a modern style

[fung0 · 7/10 · 6 February 2023]

This is both a typical Nick Cage move and a solid Western. It's an unlikely combo, but welcome nonetheless.

The plot is traditional: one act of violence leads to another, until our protagonists are led into a search for vengeance. The twist is that they're a father and his very young daughter.

Cage does a satisfactory job as the emotionless killer who's not sure how to be a dad. Ryan Armstrong steals the show as his precocious daughter, who never bats an eye at danger.

It's all fairly predictable, but good fun. The supporting performances are flavorful, especially Noah Le Gros as the villain and Nick Searcy as the crusty old marshal. My biggest complaint: I wish the film had been longer, and given us more time with these people.

This is very much like the better Westerns that were cranked out by the dozens in the 1950s. Wish we had more of them today.

It was quite good...

[paul_haakonsen · 6/10 · 1 April 2023]

Stumbling upon the 2023 Western movie "The Old Way" by random chance here in 2023 and seeing that the movie had Nicolas Cage in the leading role, I have to say that I opted to sit down and watch it.

Usually I am not overly keen on Western, lest it be the good old classics with Clint Eastwood or John Wayne. But every now and again when I stumble upon a Western that seems to have potential to be entertaining, then I will sit down and watch it. And thus it seemed with "The Old Way", from writer Carl W. Lucas and director Brett Donowho.

The storyline in "The Old Way", was actually good. It was a pretty straight forward script and storyline, that had that classic Western feel to it. So writer Carl W. Lucas sure managed to pen down something good and entertaining for director Brett Donowho to bring to the screen.

"The Old Way" does have a good cast that include the likes of Nicolas Cage, Shiloh Fernandez, Clint Howard, Abraham Benrubi, Craig Branham, Boyd McCallister, Noah Le Gros, Corby Griesenbeck, and others. I will say that the cast ensemble in the movie definitely put on good performances and carried the movie quite well.

Something that definitely added to the overall of the movie was the atmosphere. They managed to make "The Old Way" look and feel like a proper Western movie, and I liked that.

My rating of "The Old Way" lands on a six out of ten stars. It is a movie well-worth watching, especially if you enjoy Westerns of the old classic formula.

Quite entertaining

[latinfineart · 6/10 · 27 April 2023]

Well I would have to say that I did find this movie entertaining. Nicholas Cage was fun to watch, I think he did a good job playing the character that was called for, but the real revelation of the film was Ryan Keira Armstrong. I'd never seen her before and she was absolutely astonishing, as his daughter. She was a really fun character to watch and she really played it the character to the hilt. Gritty, self assured and believable. So many comic book characters these days, that just feel like they're written from cardboard, and it is so refreshing to see a character truly written well. She was truly convincing, and as an actress, she really has a future.

Western set and filmed in Montana.

[TxMike · 22 March 2023]

First off it is not possible to make a bad-looking movie in Montana, the state is too beautiful. The main reason I wanted to watch this movie is Nic Cage, while I don't like all his movies I like him as an actor, he always gives it 101% and he does it here.

The first scene shows us who he is, Nicolas Cage plays Colton Briggs, a notorious, emotionless gunslinger. And we see a number of killings early, in the street. One of the dead, shot in the forehead, has his young son as a witness and we sense that he will eventually grow up and seek revenge.

Flash forward 20 years, Briggs has settled down, he owns a store in town, he has a beautiful wife and a 12-yr-old daughter, played by Ryan Kiera Armstrong as Brooke, and a small home on the prairie about a 30-minute walk into town. His guns have been in storage for many years.

Everything changes after a band of four outlaws visit his home while he and the daughter are in town. His rage resurfaces and the rest of the movie is a manhunt.

This isn't a novel story, similar old west stories have been told in movies a number of times. But the actors are good. The script doesn't have a real good feel to it, but taken as entertainment of the revenge kind it is worthwhile. The source of the movie's name isn't revealed until near the end, when one says "Let's settle this the old way, in the street with guns."

My wife and i watched it at home on DVD from our public library.

An amateur-hour sub-par Western with bad parenting thrown in for good measure.

[Top_Dawg_Critic · 5/10 · 14 January 2023]

This entire production felt like a high-school drama class level, budget and all. Cage basically is sleepwalking his paycheck, but little Ryan Kiera Armstrong steals the spotlight with her charisma and flair for acting. The writing was your typical seen-it-before predictable and cliched revenge Western offering up nothing new for this genre, that felt quickly and lazily written. Some of the dialogue was cheesy to the point of cringe. The directing was weak and lacked any urgency in almost every scene. Even the sets and settings felt cheap and unconvincing, and lacked any authentic Western feel. A little bit of dust and tumbleweed blowing through town would've gone a long way getting to that Western feel. Even the normally comfortable 95 min runtime felt longer with poor pacing and the underwhelming narrative. It's a generous 5/10 from me, all for the young Armstrong's impressive performance.

Old-School Western With All The Trimmings

[JoshuaMercott · 7/10 · 5 March 2023]

First Impressions:

The movie ran like a remake of one of the classic 'Wild West' feature films. The nuanced scenes and gun-fight choreographies, and even the quieter more sentimental scenes, felt like they came straight from an old Western movie. This decision, more than anything else, made "The Old Way" rise above the noise.

Story Analysis:

Watching Nicholas Cage do what he does is what fans like me want to see once we hear news about a "new Cage movie". In this production, he delivered yet another corny but captivating performance in ways only he can manage to do.

All the other artists added their own amazing touches to "The Old Way". The music exceptionally complemented every scene in the movie. The plotline was simple and familiar, especially considering the genre.

Colton Briggs was not known for being awfully nice, but there came a time when he had to kill a man while his young son watched on. This created a revenge arc for when the boy became a man and came after his father's killer.

By that time, Colton was living out his days as a family man with his wife Ruth and their daughter Brooke. The fated face-off became a gripping lesson in what could happen if grudges were left to brew.

This story was set at a time when the titular 'old way' was changing. Statehood and new laws kept roving hoodlums near their saddles. It was interesting to see the character of Colton be himself in such a swiftly transitioning world.

The way the man "felt dead inside" and how that trait seemingly passed down to his daughter helped define both their characters. Also, the way his wife Ruth changed him and made him feel fear for the first time - fear of losing her, that is - added to the movie's empathic layers.

Stunts, VFX, and editing were great. Art direction and set decoration were notable. Hair-makeup and costume design were amazing. Sound effects and musical scoring were superb. Cinematography was admirable. Screenplay was smart. Direction was great.

Final Notes:

As I immersed myself in the story, I forgot I was still in 2023 admiring a plotline that eloquently captured classic-era movie vibes. Even the clichéd sequences were in keeping with old-school Western themes.

The way the filmmakers managed to weave in a subtle thread of modernity - especially with some dialogue and humour choices - into the overall plot added to the captivation in "The Old Way".

This is no True Grit

[TheRealBradPitt · 5/10 · 11 January 2023]

I went to see this move because it had a 7.0 at the time. I don't know what you people are thinking. I even went on half-off night and still regret it. The little girl is the best actor out of the entire cast by far. Even Cage comes up short. For hardened criminals in the cowboy days, the bad guys look like frat boys dressed up for Halloween. Or, use an excellent face moisturizer from the mercantile. And any scene with them feels like you are watching a middle school theater performance. There are so many corny punch lines as well. From the first 5 minutes it was cringe and never got better. The story line was rushed and seemed like key scenes were cut. I hate to be negative but it's a bust. Movies such as True Grit and Open Range are on a far different level of plot, authenticity, and acting. This doesn't come close and felt like another low budget Netflix film where everyone did the absolute minimum. If you think this is going to be a film about raw vengeance like the trailer suggests, it isn't. I could go on but I have made my point.

He was trying to steal Jellybeans....

[FlashCallahan · 7/10 · 17 January 2023]

Retired gunslinger Colton Briggs faces the consequences of his past when the son of a man he murdered arrives to take his revenge.

Briggs must take up arms once more after his wife is killed, and is joined by his young daughter.....

I'm a huge Cage fan, and this is him at his most restraint that we've seen him for a while. And it's a refreshing move, as he and his onscreen daughter shine whenever they are together on screen, as it makes the film far more watchable than it should be, as the narrative is nothing more than your average revenge thriller.

Cage plays a once brutal gunman, much like William Munney in Unforgiven, and like Eastwood, Cage is calm and collective whilst he is on his trail of vengeance.

On his quest, we meet other people, some on his side, some not, but always raising interest in the narrative, and adding a little more to his quest. If you're not a fan of Cage, you may find this film a little mundane, as it is a slow burner of a film, it focuses more on the relationship dynamic between father and daughter, rather than the revenge element of the film, which makes it a little more interesting than your average revenge thriller.

I really enjoyed it.

Can't tell if this is meant to be serious or not

[ianclarke340 · 5/10 · 15 January 2023]

Cage has a way of dumbing down of a film which is fine to an extent but you can't help wondering if he was the best choice for the role.

I think there are much more believable actors who would have added a lot more credibility and realism to this film and it may have become a modern classic rather than a one off throw away novelty.

Young Ryan Kiera Armstrong is the real star here and judging by her standard of ability has a good future in acting as long as she keeps her wits about her. I can see why she was chosen for this part.

Overall not a terrible way to pass some time but not a film that you would watch more than once.

Give Me More...please

[damianphelps · 6/10 · 23 April 2023]

A nice throwback to my favourite genre of movie...the western.

I would love to see a spree of good quality westerns hit the big screen, with The Old Way being much better than most of the westerns released over the last few years.

Cage is Cage except with a little bit more, you can see he's enjoying playing the gunslinger role. The kid, Ryan, gives one of the better child actor performances I've seen, underplaying the sociopath role nicely.

A few more gunfights would have added to the fun but otherwise there was enough to ge my western juices flowing.

Would definiately recommend especially for western fans but don't start comparing it to Josey Wales or The Searchers for example :)

No. Just No.

[sirwinniespencerchurchill · 4/10 · 14 January 2023]

I enjoy Westerns and I can tolerate some pretty cheap ones on Prime or Crackle too but this was not engaging. As others have said it is a walking cliche revenge flick but with stiff moments and bad or bizarre dialogue at times and veers into outright cringey on a couple of occasions. Wait until you get to the "fear" speech and devil speech. Cage isn't very good in it, "me psychopath, me tough, me disinterested, me no speak much" is a bit boring and has zero range. The addition of a potentially autistic or sociopathic child could have been interesting if the dialogue and plot were better, but it ain't. Up against an Oscar winner, Nick Searcy is the standout performance in the film but he was given little to work with. The kid has an acting future but her character just didn't engage me. Empathy disorders will do that. If you can get it for free give it a try but don't pay for it.

Really Liked This

[marimiller-82075 · 9/10 · 26 February 2023]

This is a modern take on a spaghetti western. Nic Cage is convincing as a hard core gunslinger who later finds love, settles down and has a daughter, named Brooke. The actress who plays Brooke is great and steals the show. Like her father she has difficulty expressing emotions, but their journey to get revenge for the murder of her mother causes them both to bond. There are some very good scenes around the campfire as they get to know each other better. Filmed in Montana, cinematography is very good. So also the sound track which reminds me of many great Westerns. The ending was both sad and clever with a delightful twist. I thoroughly enjoyed this movie.

Nic Cage Goes West

[johnnyhbtvs27 · 6/10 · 18 January 2023]

Finally the world is treated to a Nicolas Cage western. It is full of clichés and follows the typical western tropes yet is always engaging.

This may be billed as Nic Cage's first western however Ryan Kiera Armstrong runs off with the full movie. She is exceptional as a Mattie Ross type character who seeks revenge for a loved one. Her chemistry with Cage saves the movie from mediocrity.

There are a few good supporting characters with Noah Le Gros making a decent enough villian (despite not convincing entirely) and Clint Howard playing Eustice, a prophet of doom character, straight out of The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre.

You watch The Old Way and go 'well that's from that movie and from that western' but The Old Way has enough charm (especially in Armstrong) to get it over the line.

An almost servicable plainly shot Western

[trumstheconquero · 3/10 · 10 January 2023]

The writer churned out a lesser script here. There's decent talent in front of the camera and somehow it's still not clicking with the audience. I wouldn't have cared about how basic the camera work was if the product on screen was good.

2 things: the director should never do anything above a second unit job again & Nick Searcy compounds many issues with the script in his performance. It's already too laconic in dialogue & style that his role grinds the movie to a sentimental halt each time (3 total) he appears. It felt emotionally stunted overall with hints of life that never develop fully. Part of this is the direction, part script, and partly Searcy being a career bit performer who isn't strong enough to carry the role. The film isn't that long and it feels like an eternity waiting for him to finish. In addition he says inappropriate things and is generally uncouth despite trying to appear sensitive. He underlines just how clunky the plot is handled and how the character might have been an interesting piece in a better movie better performed.

I don't know how Cage knows anyone related to this but, he's struggling with it a bit here. It's not for lack of talent or effort either. The character is simply off and in a script that meanders everytime it should move briskly. The lead is never let loose after the opening scene and it's unclear what the movie is actually about, what the entertainment goal is. It definitely fails as an action thriller in a Western framing, or as a palatable family western film.

It also doesn't earn the emotional upheaval it purports to show. Someone is killed in the early portion of this movie off screen and the surrounding actions are just not right. The death seemed unlikely based on what was shown and the reaction afterward undercuts any emotion from the character or film. The audience is detached from a visceral experience and the juxtaposition of how the child character would feel which leads into how her being neurodivergent is grossly mishandled. The child actress has a career in the industry if she wants it. She's good and works well with Cage but, this movie is just poorly made and written.

This is not a good movie. I like bare bones films using only what is necessary to convey the story due to budget, time, etc. I know the cinematographer is talented and most of the cast are notable performers. It just doesn't come across well at all. It does have enough to warrant a single watch. I wanted to see Cage in a western revenge story and it nominally provides that. I hope Butchers Crossing is significantly better.

Too bad Nic didn't pick a better script.

[JohnDeSando · 12 January 2023]

If you like Westerns as much as I do, don't see The Old Way with Nicolas Cage. It's Western sausage with every possible cliché ground in to make it look like other Westerns and no distinction other than it's the Oscar winner's first Western. Grade C beef, tasteless inside and out.

Colton Briggs (Cage), ex super gunfighter, sets out with his 12-year-daughter, Brooke (Ryan Kiera Armstrong), to avenge the murder of his sweet wife, Ruth (Kerry Knuppe). If you hear echoes of Clint Eastwood in Unforgiven, forget it, for only in superficial plot can The Old Way claim kinship.

Accompanying Briggs on his revenge is his possibly autistic Brooke (she counts individual jelly beans for same color jars), who reminds of True Grit's Hailee Steinfeld character but with less impressive lines. Keep an eye on Armstrong, for she could be a formidable adult actress. By the way, you'll not be surprised at the role Brooke plays here, formulaic as the film is.

Other characters are just as unimpressive: villain James McCallister (Noah Le Gros) reminds me of a frat boy without a promising future, and Marshal Jarret (Nick Searcy) is an ineffectual blowhard, to name two undistinguished players in this listless oater.

Perhaps the most interesting element of the horse opera is that the head armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, was armorer for Alec Baldwin's Rust, on which set was a death and a serious injury related to the handling of guns two months after The Old Way. Even spicier is that Cage allegedly walked off this set because of the armorer's handling of guns.

Sion Michel's cinematography is in the best beautiful Western tradition, and director Brett Donowho does some magic with Armstrong's acting and keeping Cage to his vaunted method acting. These are not reasons to see this bland genre piece except that it makes devotees like me remember the excellence of revenge Western's like Unforgiven.

A Script likely written by a 10 year old kid

[shuswap-83557 · 1/10 · 13 January 2023]

This film is abysmal on almost every level. The story is so silly and clichéd that it's laughably unentertaining. The acting is more wooden than a barn door and that includes Nick Cage who gives us one of the worst performances of his storied career. Wow it's bewildering how this junk even made it past the drawing board. It's like a bunch of people who know nothing about making movies got together and said, let's do a Clint Eastwood western just as a joke. The only redeeming factor here might be the sets and the sound which were adequate. I can't see any point in watching this turd except for perhaps a couple of scenes where Cage goes into an emotional outburst and demonstrates his ability to do dramatic crying in his usual cringeworthy style. Watching his routine only makes one appreciate real class acts like Gary Cooper from those bygone days when they knew how to do western movies worth remembering.

Reminiscent of "Unforgiven"

[zardoz-13 · 7/10 · 3 March 2023]

"Acts of Violence" director Brett Donowho's above-average western "The Old Way" qualifies as Nicolas Cage's first rodeo. Scenarist Carl W. Lucas and Donowho must have watched Clint Eastwood's "Unforgiven," since the relationship between our protagonist Colton Briggs (Cage's reformed gunslinger) and his wife Ruth (Kerry Knuppe of "R. I. P. D. 2: Rise of the Damned") evokes memories of the Eastwood epic. Ruth convinced Colton to stop killing, marry her, and swap his six-gun for a ledger to run a general store. After the unsavory villains kill his wife early in the action while he is away from home watching his daughter in his store, Colton launches his own manhunt. However, he isn't the only one in hot pursuit. A gruff United States Marshal, Jarrett (Nick Searcy of "The Best of Enemies"), fails to persuade Briggs to leave the capture of these ruffians to his posse. Struggling to reason with Colton, Jarrett implores him to resume his peaceful lifestyle and raise his impressionable twelve-year old daughter, Brooke Briggs ("Firestarter's" Ryan Kiera Armstrong), so she can appreciate his paternal efforts. Nevertheless, the vengeful Colton refuses to heed Jarrett's advice. Later, after Jarrett and his posse ride into an ambush laid by the villains, Colton shows up and saves their bacon. Eventually, Colton catches up with these reprobates, James McCallister (Noah Le Gros of "A Score to Settle"), Big Mike (Abraham Benrubi), Eustice (Clint Howard of "Far and Away"), and Clark (Dean Armstrong) in a small town. Colton sends Brooke into the town to distract these ruffians and catches them by surprise on main street, but his luck runs out of him. Ultimately, Brooke must finish the job. During their pursuit of the villains, Colton taught Brook how to wield a six-gun, so that she becomes proficient with it. A journey of hardship western, "The Old Way" chronicles Colton's return to his evil ways. Cage is tight-lipped as the steely-eyed gunslinger who yearns for vengeance. Ryan Kiera is a scene-stealer with her quiet, straightforward demeanor. For the record, the snotty villain delivers the one line of dialogue that would become the title of the film. The villain plans to kill Colton in what he refers to as 'the old way." The production values are first-rate, and the opening shootout is staged with vigor. Not bad for what it is.

I'm not adding this as a classic

[mfptydgj · 4/10 · 2 June 2023]

I love a bad Nic Cage movie as much as the next person. His acting lives up to recent standards (not the classics, that were actually good). The best bits are when he doesn't speak and let's others do the work.

There have certainly been Nic Cage movies that made me want the time back. This one isn't that bad. It isn't going to be one that I watch again either. There are certainly worse westerns and certainly better.

The little girl is actually the highlight of the movie. But the pacing and music aren't bad either. Not sure I particularly cared for the acting of the bad guy, but again plenty of worse acting in other movies.

Contrary to other reviews, I actually enjoyed this film.

[airdavewinfield · 7/10 · 19 February 2023]

I was going to review this film positively, and say " Cage occasionally makes a decent film, and this is one of those times."...but then I read the other reviews!

Wow, was I surprised.

I hesitated just for a moment, and decided to soldier on with my own opinion.

I generally agree with most of the reviewers around here, but in this case, I have to go against the largely negative opinion of this film.

No, its not Eastwood's Unforgiven, or any of the other great Westerns.

But, its got its moments, I liked the story flow, and Cage didn't "over-Cage".

I think, if you're into Westerns, its definitely worth a look.

If you like Nick Cage, its worth a look.

Maybe don't look for movie magic...each cage film needs to be judged on its own merits and not against other Cage films (good or bad).

facepalm

[Luv2Spooge · 3/10 · 14 January 2023]

Started out pretty good and unlike most of Nick's cheap flicks lately, Saban Films gave it a real production feel. I honestly thought I would be in for a treat but the plot dragged and dragged. It's not even a "slow burn" but basically there is barely any story. The element is definitely not long enough for its run time, so they dragged and dragged with meaningless pointless dialog.

There is not a moment of excitement in this film, even the final scene was a bore, predictable, and an overall yawn. In contrast, the opening sequence was well done, which gave us a false sense of expectation. Anyways, this sadly chalks up to another Nick's low budget B movie. Even the discount Tom Hardy could not add any more depth to it.

3/10.

No "The Unforgiven" but....

[paulmacqueen70 · 7/10 · 13 January 2023]

Well as my heading says.this is no Unforgiven...No PaleRider, But is a great hour and a half for anybody who loves the Western Genre.

The standout in this is the young girl.."Ryan Kiera Armstrong"...She steals every scene she is in.

Nicolas Cage really has faded as an actor,and i really can not figure out why.

But the saving grace here is that for every scene that he butchers in this movie he is saved by the acting chops showed by this young lady.

The supporting cast tend to be very mediocre,but they do their jobs.

Put your brain into neutral and enjoy a average western that highlights the talents of an up and coming young actress.

A Missed Opportunity for Nicolas Cage to Show Off His Western Skills

[FilmFanatic2023 · 3/10 · 6 January 2023]

"The Old Way" is a Western movie starring Nicolas Cage as Colton Briggs, a cold-blooded gunslinger who is forced to confront his past when his wife is brutally murdered and he sets out on a mission of revenge. Along the way, he takes his young daughter Brooke (Ryan Kiera Armstrong) with him, teaching her how to shoot and defend herself. The movie's plot is a blend of elements from other Westerns, including "True Grit" and "Unforgiven," and features themes of grief, revenge, and the processing of emotions.

Cage delivers a solid performance as Colton, fully embracing the tough, no-nonsense persona of his character. However, the script by Carl W. Lucas is heavy on dialogue and lacks the subtlety and nuance needed to fully flesh out the characters and their motivations. The direction by Brett Donowho is competent, but fails to elevate the material. The cinematography and production design are serviceable, but the pacing is slow and the movie feels longer than its runtime.

Overall, "The Old Way" is a forgettable addition to the Western genre. While Cage's performance is worth noting, the movie is bogged down by a script that lacks depth and fails to fully engage the audience.

Where in Hell ...

[bbigdiddle · 8/10 · 21 January 2023]

Where in Hell do all these people get off, putting down this movie like they could do something better ? Sure, it's cliched & derivative, but it was absolutely fine. It was quite a decent western. Thousands of Westerns were made back in the day. Most of them were fine entertainment & suddenly now - we aren't supposed to enjoy them. Oh, were better than that now ! Ha. Cage did some decent acting & the daughter was quite good.

People are awfully Snotty these days for having no talent. And no originality. And nothing much to speak of when it comes to anything creative. But they SURE as hell act like they do !

Surprisingly decent

[BenW1999 · 7/10 · 31 January 2023]

Surprisingly decent

Saw this yesterday and after watching Bruce Willis B movie after B movie, I didn't really have any good expectations for this Nic Cage B movie... but I was pleasently surprised

The cinematography is beautiful, the acting is good enough... but the score... the score is incredible.

It's not without its faults. There's times when I couldn't tell if this was supposed to be a comedy or not. The first 20 or so minutes lead you to believe its supposed to be funny, and it honestly was, but the humour fades out as the film progresses.

Decent enough film, and probably one of the best B movies I've seen.

its barely...

[ops-52535 · 5/10 · 13 January 2023]

A weak 5, mostly for the try, and as an acclaim to lifting the wild west genre on the silverscreen witout too much rott gore and evilness...

but making the perfect wild western aint done in an instant, and the one thing you need most of all is patience... something this production crew didnt. I might be grumpy and meager but editing together a msequence where god almighty's big lamp, the sun , switches on and of at each cam shift, and the sky goes from clear to cloudy in an instant, that is amateurism. That happens only in vacumized and presurized containers in real life so big flaw there. The plot in itself is workable and couldve been a major hit, but its distracted bya slow nitwit dialouge of nonsense, where the toughness hangs about the moustache, and the final outcome so bleached due waiting for it all to holler off in crimson red... i think a cloths mysterious path towards a climax would be far more seeworthy than this slowfox gunshot polkadotted final.

Nick cage, well ive nothing against him, he does his part the best hes allowed to be, the child actress, is fair and square allright, the rest of the main cast and stunts aint less than c-worthy.

Every nice wild west saga made in the past have always been supported by a musical score to remember, its not that excellent, but it rises the quality of the final product.

So a tiny recommend from the grumpy old man, they try but fails alot at production and plotspeed.