--- title: "Hell or High Water: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/hell-or-high-water/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/hell-or-high-water" critics_score: 78 critics_reviews: 21 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Hell or High Water (2016): what the critics said Critics' score 78 from 21 reviews: 19 positive, 1 mixed, 1 negative. Most critics welcome Hell or High Water as a tense, dryly funny crime film whose familiar bank robberies and pursuit gain weight from the poverty of its West Texas setting. Praise centres on Taylor Sheridan’s dialogue, David Mackenzie’s assured pacing and a cast that makes the family loyalties and professional partnerships convincing. Jeff Bridges draws the most consistent attention for his weary, expressive Ranger, while Chris Pine earns praise for giving the brothers’ story emotional weight. The disagreement concerns how much the film adds to its familiar material. Most reviews find its economic pressures persuasive and its characters nuanced; a small minority find the social commentary thin or the plotting too arranged. Time Out enjoys the old-fashioned pleasures but hears little new. The New Yorker is the sharp dissenter, finding the writing contrived and lifeless, though it shares the broader admiration for Bridges. The spread is wide, but approval predominates. ## The AV Club — A.A. Dowd Rating A-. 11 August 2016. The film makes one fall in love again with dialogue through its plainspoken wit and flavorful conversation. It delivers a skillful, offbeat neo-Western heist with relaxed yet urgent execution and strong character work. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/from-the-writer-of-sicario-comes-the-terrific-flavorfu-1798188568) ## Vulture Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 11 August 2016. It is a rare humanist Western where finality is the true villain, offering broad scale and deep feeling in a haunting neo-Western with a terrible clarity and one of the greatest final scenes of any Western. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/2016/08/review-the-haunting-western-hell-or-high-water.html) ## Empire — Jimi Famurewa Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 5 September 2016. The critic praises the film as a taut, tense neo-Western that effectively blends old and new elements in its depiction of Texan cops and robbers. Bridges' performance is highlighted as a standout, bringing weary vulnerability to his role. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/hell-high-water-review/) ## Financial Times — Raphael Abraham Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 29 December 2016. David Mackenzie’s powerful neo-Western paints a vivid portrait of disenfranchised America. The script is sharply sardonic and the overall mood is sober and elegiac. [Read the review](https://www.ft.com/content/a429ad92-cd69-11e6-864f-20dcb35cede2) ## Little White Lies — Manuela Lazic Rating 3/4/4. 7 September 2016. Jeff Bridges gives his best performance in years in this timely crime caper from David Mackenzie. The critic praises the realistic modern Texas setting marked by poverty, the sarcastic humour from civilians and authorities, and the subversion of heist conventions in favour of a broader critique of capitalism. [Read the review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/hell-or-high-water) ## Radio Times — Damon Wise Rating 4/5. British director David Mackenzie masters modern Americana like a native with this rustic noir that invokes the spirit of the Coen brothers. The critic praises the familiar story being very well told, with snappy dialogue, three top-notch performances and a great dustbowl soundtrack. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-cdzot0/hell-or-high-water/) ## Slant Magazine Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 9 August 2016. Sheridan's screenplay twists genre conventions while the stark atmosphere and intimate character focus keep the action on a muted emotional keel, building to a messy, bloody conclusion that ruptures a delicate social ecosystem. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/hell-or-high-water/) ## The Telegraph — Tim Robey Rating 4/5. 8 September 2016. Give Mackenzie this strong script and his game is raised, delivering straight-down-the-highway momentum, interesting stakes, and textured character work. It is a chase movie with a moral conscience that is neither obvious nor one-sided. [Read the review](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/2016/05/16/hell-or-high-water-is-a-chase-movie-with-a-conscience---review/) ## The Times — Edward Porter Rating ★★★★. 11 September 2016. Mackenzie embraces the desolate Texas setting with relish and has a good cast. Taylor Sheridan’s script makes good on the potential with an interesting motive for the bank jobs. [Read the review](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/tv-radio/article/film-reviews-hell-or-high-water-and-captain-fantastic-lsfgc2w8w) ## Evening Standard — Charlotte O'Sullivan Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 9 September 2016. The review finds the film engaging despite a conventional plot, crediting strong characterizations and sly direction for its appeal. Performances by Bridges and Pine are singled out as outstanding and Oscar-worthy. [Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/hell-or-high-water-film-review-how-s-this-for-true-grit-a3340826.html) ## Film Comment — Michael Sragow Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 25 August 2016. The critic finds Jeff Bridges the standout delight in an otherwise compromised story, praising his effortless portrayal of the Texas Ranger. He notes the director's work is handsome and tactful but not deeply probing. [Read the review](https://www.filmcomment.com/deep-focus-jeff-bridges-hell-high-water/) ## Time Out — Tom Huddleston Rating 3/5. 11 August 2016. This dusty Texas crime story is well-worn but its simple pleasures hold up in an old-fashioned yet enjoyable heist thriller that adds a dash of 21st-century politics. The critic singles out the memorable moments, most involving Jeff Bridges hurling insults, while noting not a great deal new to say. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/hell-or-high-water) ## The New Yorker — Richard Brody Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 19 August 2016. The critic sees the film as flat and schematic, driven by a screenwriter’s keyboard rather than lived-in action or dialogue, with the main respite being Jeff Bridges’s expressive performance. It faults the contrived family-history elements and overall lack of vitality despite strong casting. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/culture/richard-brody/the-exemplary-badness-of-war-dogs-and-hell-or-high-water) ## Los Angeles Times — Glenn Whipp 10 August 2016. The critic calls it a gripping heist drama attuned to outsider politics, with brothers robbing banks to settle a score while evoking empathy for their motives amid West Texas desolation. It singles out the screenplay’s balance of thriller, character study, and social commentary, plus the director’s brisk pacing. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-hell-high-water-review-20160807-snap-story.html) ## Screen Daily 16 May 2016. Festival review. David Mackenzie delivers his most commercially appealing and one of his most fully achieved films yet, working from an expertly honed screenplay. The critic singles out the intertwining of two mismatched buddy relationships, especially the one between the rangers played by Jeff Bridges and Gil Birmingham, and the vivid support casting and dialogue. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/hell-or-high-water-cannes-review/5104048.article) ## Sight and Sound — Trevor Johnson 13 September 2016. Hard times make hard desperados in David Mackenzie's sage, post-recessionary Texan crime thriller. The critic praises the thorough investment in sense of place and the strong performances, especially Jeff Bridges' masterly late-period character study and the world-weary bond between the siblings. [Read the review](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/film-week-hell-or-high-water) ## The Guardian 16 May 2016. Festival review. The critic praises this heavyweight, cynical thriller as a heist picture with satirical edge and a gloomy reverie about the Texan plain. Mackenzie’s direction and the cast deliver punch and maturity. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2016/may/16/hell-or-high-water-review-cannes-film-jeff-bridges-chris-pine) ## The Hollywood Reporter — David Rooney 16 May 2016. Festival review. The film is a soulful outlaw tale with a socioeconomic perspective and a rich sense of place. It features strong performances from the leads in a modern Western thriller that imbues familiar types with humanity. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/hell-high-water-cannes-review-893095/) ## The New York Times — Jeannette Catsoulis Rating Critic’s Pick. 11 August 2016. The critic finds it an easygoing thriller set in a roasted West Texas landscape where the bank-robbing brothers’ plan unfolds gradually amid nonchalant characters. The film is praised for its unhurried cops-and-robbers tale that reveals the thieves’ smarter motives over time. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/12/movies/hell-or-high-water-review.html) ## Variety — Owen Gleiberman 16 May 2016. Festival review. The critic hails it as a thrillingly good, crackerjack drama of crime, fear, and brotherly love set in an authentic sun-roasted West Texas, merging crime-spree noir with family history. It praises the brilliant lead performances, especially Chris Pine’s breakthrough, and the director’s gripping independent production. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2016/film/reviews/cannes-film-review-hell-or-high-water-chris-pine-jeff-bridges-1201775089/) ## Den of Geek — Don Kaye Rating 5/5. 11 August 2016. The critic calls it one of the best films of the year, a tense modern-day Western full of desperation and strong performances from the leads. He highlights the rich socio-economic backdrop and the nuanced characters caught between family loyalty and systemic pressures. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/hell-or-high-water-review/) ## Collider — Brian Formo Rating A-. 11 August 2016. The critic calls it one of the best films of the year, praising its thoughtful screenplay and career-high performances from the leads. They single out the believable bond between the brothers for adding meaningful history to the script. [Read the review](https://collider.com/hell-or-high-water-review/) ## Deadline — Pete Hammond Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 10 August 2016. The critic calls the film a must-see smart and intelligent thriller that mixes entertainment with something to think about. He singles out the relevant contemporary issues raised alongside strong performances, especially from Chris Pine. [Read the review](https://deadline.com/2016/08/hell-or-high-water-review-chris-pine-jeff-bridges-ben-foster-1201799919/) ## Consequence Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 10 August 2016. The critic praises it as a thrilling, tense, and weirdly funny heist film with a tight script that builds a rich milieu and mines genuine laughs from local culture and practicalities. They single out the score and the sense of isolation for enhancing the dread and character depth. [Read the review](https://consequence.net/2016/08/film-review-hell-or-high-water/) ## HeyUGuys — Jo-Ann Titmarsh Rating 4/5. 16 May 2016. Festival review. The critic finds the film a solid cops-and-robbers tale that stays true to traditional storytelling while depicting the disenfranchised with nuance. Strong performances from the leads, particularly Jeff Bridges, are highlighted alongside the script's clear-eyed view of consequences. [Read the review](https://www.heyuguys.com/hell-or-highwater-review/) ## The Skinny — Josh Slater-Williams Rating ★★★★. 2 September 2016. The critic praises the screenplay for adding depth and social commentary beyond a simple genre exercise, along with the vivid Texas landscapes and Chris Pine's standout performance. He deems it one of the finest recent American crime films. [Read the review](https://www.theskinny.co.uk/film/new-releases/hell-or-high-water) ## The Wrap — Robert Abele Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 11 August 2016. The critic finds it a witty and surprisingly wise slice of Lone Star unlawfulness with righteous criminality and pokey humor. He singles out Jeff Bridges' master-class performance as the veteran Ranger alongside the strong ensemble and craftsman-like direction. [Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/hell-or-high-water-review/) ## The Playlist — Nikola Grozdanovic Rating B. 11 August 2016. The review praises the film's entertaining caper elements, Coens-like colorful characters, and balance of humor with deeper themes of generational loss and modern America. Strong side performances and Bridges' standout work are singled out for making it a personality-driven ride. [Read the review](https://theplaylist.net/hell-or-high-water-is-a-coens-esque-caper-with-personality-zest-review-20160811/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/hell-or-high-water.md