Hell or High Water

British director David Mackenzie (Starred Up) masters modern Americana like a native with this rustic noir. Scripted by Sons of Anarchy star Taylor Sheridan, who also wrote drug cartel thriller Sicario, the film invokes the spirit of the Coen brothers in a story of desperate men in desperate times. Set firmly in the shadow of the financial collapse of 2008, it sees two redneck brothers (Ben Foster and Chris Pine) teaming up to rob a series of banks in the Texas area. The boys are careful to cover their tracks but Texas Ranger Jeff Bridges is hard on their trail. It's a familiar story but one very well told, skewed by dry detail and snappy dialogue, scoring three top-notch performances with a great dustbowl soundtrack by Warren Ellis and Nick Cave.