Old Henry

Old Henry is a 2021 American western action drama film written and directed by Potsy Ponciroli. It stars Tim Blake Nelson as the titular character, a farmer who must protect his son from outlaws, with Scott Haze, Gavin Lewis, Trace Adkins, and Stephen Dorff in supporting roles. The film had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival on September 7, 2021, and was theatrically released in the United States by Shout! Studios on October 1. It was critically acclaimed for the story, Ponciroli's direction, and Nelson's performance. The National Board of Review selected the film in its annual list of the Top Ten Independent Films of the year.

Old Henry
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Potsy Ponciroli
Written by	Potsy Ponciroli
Produced by	Shannon Houchins Mike Hagerty
Starring	Tim Blake Nelson Scott Haze Gavin Lewis Trace Adkins Stephen Dorff
Cinematography	John Matysiak
Edited by	Jamie Kirkpatrick
Music by	Jordan Lehning
Production company	Hideout Pictures
Distributed by	Shout! Studios
Release dates	September 7, 2021 (2021-09-07) (Venice) October 1, 2021 (2021-10-01) (United States)
Running time	99 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$1.5 million
Box office	$42,068

Plot

In 1906, widower Henry McCarty and his son Wyatt reside on a farm in the Oklahoma Territory, near Henry's brother-in-law, Al. Following the discovery of a lost horse with a bloodstained saddle, Henry locates its owner, a man named Curry, who is near death. A pistol and a satchel filled with money are found beside Curry. Initially disinclined to intervene, Henry departs on horseback, intending to leave the injured man. However, he reconsiders, returning to the farm with the unconscious Curry and the recovered funds to administer medical aid. Henry subsequently questions Curry, who identifies himself as a law enforcement officer and the only survivor of a posse dispatched to apprehend a group of outlaws. Curry requests assistance in preventing the outlaws from recovering the stolen money.

While his father is away seeking assistance, Wyatt surreptitiously takes Curry's firearm to practice marksmanship. Curry breaks free and attempts to retrieve the weapon, but Henry intervenes, subduing him. Henry then discloses that he reversed course after observing three individuals examining the location where he discovered Curry. The group, led by Sam Ketchum and displaying sheriff's badges, arrives at the farm seeking Curry. They allege that Curry is the true outlaw, but their inquiries into Henry's identity and family raise his concerns.

Following a tense standoff, the men depart, and Henry maintains his hold on Curry. Later that evening, Curry shares intimate knowledge of individuals known to Henry, prompting Henry to loosen some of his restraints. Curry recounts his past as a young ranch hand and his experience witnessing the death of Billy the Kid. Dugan, one of Ketchum's men, attempts to ambush Henry, but Henry discovers him, forcing him out with a shotgun and subsequently strangling him while Wyatt observes.

The following morning, Ketchum and his gang return. Curry urges Henry to surrender, arguing that they should not sacrifice themselves for him. However, Ketchum reveals he has taken Al hostage and, upon Henry's refusal to surrender, shoots him. After preventing his son from running outside, Henry arms himself, instructing Wyatt to "Keep your damn head down, you'll be alright." Curry recognizes this phrase as one spoken by Billy the Kid, realizing that Henry is indeed Billy the Kid, who had faked his own death with the assistance of Pat Garrett.

Henry pretends to surrender before shooting Ketchum in the face, gunning down several men, and slipping out the back door of his farmhouse. While Curry and Wyatt hold off the remaining gang members, Henry stealthily eliminates the gang until only Stilwell, the gang's tracker, is left. Stilwell tosses his guns and tries to use his throwing knife, but Henry shoots it out of his hand and then shoots him through his eye.

The situation escalates as Ketchum reappears, revealing that Henry's shot only inflicted a facial wound. A tense exchange of gunfire ensues, culminating in Ketchum's depletion of ammunition. Henry, with his final bullet, eliminates the outlaw. Upon returning to the house, Henry prepares to treat the injured Curry, only to discover a criminal brand on his arm. Curry then shoots Henry in the abdomen, confessing his true identity as a law enforcement officer who infiltrated Ketchum's gang with his associates to facilitate the heist by impersonating lawmen. Curry expresses remorse but asserts that he now has the opportunity to become the individual who killed Billy the Kid.

Witnessing the events unfold, Wyatt intervenes, fatally wounding Curry before he could harm Henry. Despite Wyatt's efforts to assist his father, Henry acknowledges the futility of the situation. In his final moments, Henry imparts wisdom to his son, reflecting on the evolving world and his own obsolescence, while expressing his hope that Wyatt, having been raised with integrity, will forge his own path. Henry passes away in Wyatt's embrace. Wyatt subsequently buries his father alongside his mother and departs the farm, taking the gang's funds with him.

Cast

• Tim Blake Nelson as Henry
• Scott Haze as Curry
• Gavin Lewis as Wyatt
• Trace Adkins as Al
• Stephen Dorff as Ketchum
• Richard Speight Jr. as Dugan
• Max Arciniega as Stilwell
• Brad Carter as Branigan

Production

In an interview, Tim Blake Nelson said starring in the 2018 Western film The Ballad of Buster Scruggs taught him how to handle a gun, "I was working with guns every day for about five months to be able to do the pistol tricks."^[1] On December 15, 2020, Hideout Pictures and Shout! Studios announced a partnership to produce, finance, and distribute three Westerns, including Old Henry from writer and director Potsy Ponciroli.^[2] According to Nelson, he was heating up his food when he came across an email that offered him the title role. He told GQ that his initial response was to say, "Well, it happened. You've been offered a character that's described as old."^[1]

During pre-production, Nelson spent six months researching how his character would sound and move. He then spent another six months working on the 100-page screenplay with Ponciroli and two months physically preparing his body to handle a gun, ride a horse, and get in shape to look like a farmer.^[3] Nelson's role in the film was confirmed on January 12, 2021.^[4] On his performance, he says he "wanted for Henry by the end of the movie to be vastly different from the character he was at the beginning of the movie, and for the audience to never be able to name a single moment where the transformation happens."^[3]

Nelson feared the public would negatively compare his role as Henry to his performance as Buster Scruggs, characters he finds to be "opposites". He spoke with Ponciroli about the issue and the pair agreed the film would not feature gunspinning; the final product features one spin during the film's finale that serves as a "punctuation".^[5] On January 14, 2021, Stephen Dorff, Trace Adkins, Scott Haze, and Gavin Lewis joined the cast.^[6] Principal photography for Old Henry took place in Tennessee between January and March 2021.^[6][7]

Release

Old Henry had its world premiere out of competition at the Venice Film Festival on September 7, 2021.^[8] It was released in around 30 theaters in the United States on October 1, 2021. In New York, Steve Buscemi hosted a Q&A session with Nelson at the Quad Cinema on its opening day. On October 8, the film was released through video on demand.^[9] It became a sleeper hit on VOD, staying in the top ten on iTunes for two consecutive months following initial release.^[10]

Reception

Critical response

In the United States and Canada, Old Henry grossed $42,068 at the box office.^[11][12] On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 94% of 72 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.6/10. The website's consensus reads: "Led by a reliably solid performance from Tim Blake Nelson, Old Henry serves up a supple cut of vintage western rawhide."^[13] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 69 out of 100, based on 18 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.^[14]

The film's plot and execution received generally positive reviews. From TheWrap, Steve Pond said he wished parts of the film were "more expansive" but overall described it as a "beautiful elegy" with a finale that feels "just right."^[15] Writing for The Hollywood Reporter, David Rooney described the direction of the film as a "well-crafted exercise in old-fashioned but durable genre tropes" that later "evolves into a satisfying reflection on the more complicated, somber realities behind the icons of the Wild West."^[16] In a negative review, The Guardian's Xan Brooks found it to be too familiar to other Westerns and expressed doubt that the film should have been screened at the Venice Film Festival.^[17]

Furthermore, Tim Blake Nelson's performance as the title character received praise. Rooney said Nelson was able to "communicate with pathos both the regret and the steely resolve behind every beady-eyed squint."^[16] Variety's Owen Gleiberman wrote that the film was "built as a kind of pedestal for Nelson's performance."^[18]

Accolades

Old Henry was chosen as the best feature film of the 2021 Almería Western Film Festival.^[19] At the end of the year, the National Board of Review selected it in its annual list of the Top Ten Independent Films.^[20]