By Jorge Ignacio Castillo

(Rust. USA, 2024. Dir: Joel Souza): There’s one thing I wasn’t expecting from Rust, the infamous western in which cinematographer Halyna Hutchins lost her life when a prop gun loaded with live ammunition went off: a good movie.

Yet that’s exactly what I got.

Don’t get me wrong. Rust doesn’t reinvent the wheel or break new ground like, say, Unforgiven. But for an indie movie marred by tragedy, the outcome is sturdy, enhanced by strong turns by Travis Fimmel and, yes, Alec Baldwin. Because this is a review and the circumstances of Hutchins’ death have been extensively covered, I’ll only address them when relevant to the film’s critique.

The stakes are set very early in Rust. Lucas (Patrick Scott McDermott), a thirteen-year-old rancher in charge of his little brother, kills by accident a man he owed money to. Without parental support let alone money to hire a lawyer, Lucas is swiftly sentenced to hang. The night before the execution, Lucas is scooped from jail by his outlaw grandfather, Harland Rust (Baldwin), who kills the custodians and pretty much anybody who gets in his way.

The rescue leads to a manhunt that sends every bounty hunter in the West after them. A particularly nasty one known as Preacher (Vikings’ Travis Fimmel) racks a body count comparable to the fugitives. The law is represented by the honorable and utterly boring Wood Helm (Josh Hopkins). Whenever Rust cuts to whatever Helm and his men are doing, the movie stops in its tracks. Considering the feature is 139 minutes long, it feels indulgent.

Rust hits the best western tropes: The gruff gunslinger getting reaquainted with his conscience, the merciless up-and-comer hot on his trail, and the honourable authority figure acting on a set of laws he doesn’t believe in.

Hutchins’ vision (completed by her colleague Bianca Cline) drives the film more than the plot, for better or worse. The New Mexico vistas and late 1800s recreations are stellar. The muted tones add to murky morals at play. But, do I need two inconsequential vignettes to demonstrate Preacher is a terrible human being? He already looks like Biff Tannen in Back to the Future, I’m positive he’s up to no good.

I don’t know who needs to hear this, but Alec Baldwin is excellent in this movie. Back doing drama after a long stint in comedy, game shows, and reality television, Baldwin does the slipping of the mask to perfection. His role as Harland Rust is reminiscent of the one that got him his only Oscar nomination, a ruthless casino mogul with a heart in The Cooler.

Because Rust is bound to be mentioned in the same breath as The Twilight Zone and Midnight Rider as a cautionary tale, it’s unlikely to be thought of in terms of quality other than now, while in theatres. In that spirit, I’ll give it ★★★☆☆ (3/5).

Rust is now playing in Toronto, Whitby, Burlington, Vancouver, Langley, Ottawa, Calgary, Edmonton, Saskatoon, and Halifax.