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The wounds of the American Civil War were grievous and continue to both heal and fester in the modern world. In the wake of the unthinkable, while the nation was attempting to reconcile and move forward, men of darkness slipped through the battle lines, unrepentant and unpunished for the evils they committed upon their countrymen. Brett Bentman's latest feature, The Bounty Men explores this concept with bloody precision. Featuring an unforgettable supporting performance, panic inducing visuals, and a near mythological framework, this yet another independent triumph.
John Dooling is a vicious war criminal, fleeing the post-Civil War justice of the Union. When a bounty hunter comes to town, fate and violence become dangerously entwined. One of the most interesting aspects of this film is in how Bentman's script builds upon the concept of legend. Bentman has built a neo-pantheon of criminals and murderers in his Texas crime stories, and here, Dylan Hobbs' sterling performance as Bounty Man Daniel King is the patriarch. Despite being a story of the past, the themes that Bentman continues to explore are all present: Fatherhood, justice, and guilt. In general, the Western is a genre of rumor and legend, however it tends to border on the fantastic, as gunfighters instantly know one another's deeds. Here, in the trimmed down, mud-soaked streets of Bentman's design, it is the idea of action that is of import rather than reputation.
Tom Zembrod give a career best performance as the villainous Dooling, symbolizing the concepts of greed, evil, and mortality. Rather than everything devolving into violence, the sides of good and evil are given room to breathe, and to pontificate upon the nature of their situations and Zembrod's hilarious and terrifying turn is the epitome of this revelation. Professional killers know that any engagement has the potential to be lethal and are never quick to fight and this is emulated with perfection as Zembrod and Hobbs work their trades to muster support. On the side of the "law" is Bailey Roberts' Parker and Whit Kunschik's Tellie. Perhaps the last surviving residents of a forsaken town, their allegiance to both heritage and history is an extension of the war from which both of the principals are unable to escape.
Conversely, Thom Holland supports as Deacon, a gunsel drawn to Dooling's tarnished banner. Their chemistry and interplay are the hearts blood of the film. It's easy to root for the hero but finding some semblance of humanity in the villain takes skill and Zembrod and Hallum are able to produce. Despite the jarring, and often sinister implications of their actions, there are scenes of genuine hilarity dappled throughout, another touchstone of the B22 crew. The end result is a thought-provoking, stripped-down story about justice and humanity, brought to life by Scott Ross's vibrant cinematography and Bentman's succinct editing, creating a reverse extension of the Texas underbelly that awaits these patron saints of killers and thieves in the far future.
Coming soon to digital streaming, The Bounty Men is an atypical western with a lot on its mind. Thankfully avoiding deconstruction, this is a story first experience in which context and subtlety enhance a simple, but elegant parable about the demons that continue to haunt us to this very day and the result is a powerful entry in a genre overstuffed with imitations and charlatans. Bentman and his crew have done it once again.
--Kyle Jonathan