---
title: "The Old Way: the reviews"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-old-way/reviews"
title_page: "https://film.one/film/the-old-way"
critics_score: 53
critics_reviews: 9
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."
---

# The Old Way (2023): what the critics said

Critics' score 53 from 9 reviews: 1 positive, 5 mixed, 3 negative.

## The Guardian — Wendy Ide

Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 15 January 2023. 

Ide calls the western predictable but says Cage and Armstrong make it worth watching. She praises their angular, unexpectedly affecting father-daughter relationship.

[Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2023/jan/15/the-old-way-review-generic-western-nicolas-cage)

## RogerEbert.com

Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 

The page could not be accessed, so the critic’s verdict cannot be determined. No specific praise or complaint is available from the provided page content.

[Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-old-way-movie-review-2023)

## The New York Times

Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 

The page is identified as a review, but its text is inaccessible. The critic’s verdict and specific praise or complaint cannot be verified.

[Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/05/movies/the-old-way-review.html)

## IndieWire — David Ehrlich

Rating C. 5 January 2023. 

Ehrlich finds the Western competent but overly conventional and lacking ambition. He praises the moments when Cage and Armstrong’s characters begin to understand one another, but faults the dull shootouts and formulaic plotting.

[Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/the-old-way-review-nicolas-cage-1234796498/)

## Slant Magazine — Jake Cole

Rating 1.5/4. 2 January 2023. 

The review finds the western clichéd and its second half predictable, despite a weary, understated performance from Nicolas Cage. It praises a tender scene where Colton discusses his difficulty processing emotions, but says the script uses it to excuse rather than contextualize his past.

[Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/the-old-way-review-nicolas-cage/)

## Empire — Jordan King

Fi1m's normalised score 25/100 (inferred from the text). 13 January 2023. 

King finds the film a derivative, shallow Western that squanders its chance to do something new. He praises the father-daughter dynamic and a fireside scene where Cage and Armstrong connect.

[Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/the-old-way/)

## Film Stories — Lauren Miles

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 13 January 2023. 

The critic finds The Old Way more engaging than its familiar story suggests, while noting that its action does not fully earn the hero’s fearsome reputation. Cage and Noah Le Gros are praised for performances that lift the cheesy script, while Brooke’s awkward characterization is a key complaint.

[Read the review](https://filmstories.co.uk/reviews/the-old-way-review-nicolas-cages-first-traditional-western/)

## Paste — Andy Crump

Rating 6.1/10. 6 January 2023. 

Crump finds the film familiar and ultimately disappointing despite a spark of originality. He praises the campfire scene’s chemistry between Nicolas Cage and Ryan Kiera Armstrong.

[Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/nicolas-cage/the-old-way-review)

## Collider — Robert Brian Taylor

Rating D. 12 January 2023. 

Taylor finds the Western formulaic and forgettable, with muted performances and little emotional depth. He singles out Clint Howard as the most engaging performer, bringing welcome life to his scenes.

[Read the review](https://collider.com/the-old-way-review-nicolas-cage/)

---
© 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/the-old-way.md