What a surprise of a film. Hadn't heard about it prior to seeing it pop up on Netflix, but this was such a fun movie. It is a spaghetti western featuring an all black cast VERY loosely based on real life black cowboys and outlaws.

It's very entertaining, action packed, music was great, and doesn't take itself too seriously. Feels a bit like a Tarantino movie. It definitely has its flaws like pacing, but I don't think I've seen a film this stylish and confident in the last 1-2 years.

The cast is phenomenal: Idris Elba, Zazie Beetz, Regina King, Johnathon Majors. But I think the standout of this film and the one that stole every scene he was in was LaKeith Stanfield. He will undoubtedly be one of the breakout stars of the next decade.

This is Jeymes Samuels (The Bullitts) first feature film, but i will be very interested in his career going forward. Highly recommend checking it out.

7.9/10

The trailer made it look super ****ty, even though I like a lot of those actors.

I enjoyed the heck of that show. Lots of good action/violence and also very funny.

PatAg said:

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The trailer made it look super ****ty, even though I like a lot of those actors.

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I actually never saw the trailer, just saw the amazing cast, looked up the reviews, saw they were solid, so gave it a chance.

It was absolutely great.

I'm sure some will ***** about the all-black cast & the "white town" but it's just a bit.

Did feel like a Tarantino film.

Enjoyed it because I enjoy most Westerns.

A little unsure if they were trying to deliver a message at the end.

I really enjoyed it. Thought it was a fun bloody movie.

Granted, I hadn't heard about it until an unhinged rant on the religion and philosophy board about how the movie was emblematic of some Jewish conspiracy
So of course I had to watch it.

Seeing any film that gets lambasted by the R&P board seems like a pretty solid strategy.

Love Lakeith Stanfield

He is an amazing talent

It was good, but it could have been great.

It was very Tarantino.

The movie was very uneven. The soundtrack was great in parts, distracting in others. The acting was top notch and the gunfights reminded me of a western John Wick.

How woke is it?

Btron said:

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How woke is it?

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Couldn't tell you because I turn off that part of my brain when watching movies so as not spoil the experience. It was entertaining though and a bunch of black folks were portrayed as bad asses so I'm sure there are some hidden woke messages in there (intended or perceived).

Btron said:

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How woke is it?

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Not very woke. One possible scene I'm unsure of where they play with gender roles, and one possible unspoken message at the end.

I thought it was badass so far, but I stopped with about 50 minutes left, am planning on finishing today.

Just finished. All style, no substance. Watchable, sure, but this all felt like a film student's best Tarantino impression.

I thoroughly enjoy Westerns (thanks grandpa) old and new alike. And I have watched them to such an extent that my 16-year-old son was watching the original Magnificent Seven at school during an extended break after a final.

But I'm skeptical about this one.

And probably for the most ridiculous reason.

Why do the characters and setting look like they're a feature at a theme park?

Yes. It's filmed at a western ranch set in New Mexico. I also was annoyed by the vast blank spaces behind scenes. But I bet it's part of the bit.

I didn't see your rating here. What'd you think?

unmade bed said:

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Btron said:

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How woke is it?

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Couldn't tell you because I turn off that part of my brain when watching movies so as not spoil the experience. It was entertaining though and a bunch of black folks were portrayed as bad asses so I'm sure there are some hidden woke messages in there (intended or perceived).

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Lol there's no hidden wokeness - it's all out there in plain sight to see. Just pretend your in some alternative reality where everyone is black. Oh, except for the weak victims who are all white (train soldiers and white town residents).

Also, props to those guys for making a gun heavy western without getting anyone actually killed.

This was posted in a local FaceBook group. I haven't verified it. But it might be legit.

" This is soooo exciting! If y'all watch this movie one of the historical figures the film is based on [off of] has deep roots to the Lago Vista area! A famous Black rodeo family lived here and made a name for themselves by inventing a rodeo technique. Anyways, super nerdy, but I had to share this piece of local Black History that is now national thanks to Netflix!!! Eeeekkk!!! I added the link below and can provide local history book references if anyone is interested in learning more.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Pickett "

javajaws said:

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unmade bed said:

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Btron said:

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How woke is it?

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Couldn't tell you because I turn off that part of my brain when watching movies so as not spoil the experience. It was entertaining though and a bunch of black folks were portrayed as bad asses so I'm sure there are some hidden woke messages in there (intended or perceived).

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Lol there's no hidden wokeness - it's all out there in plain sight to see. Just pretend your in some alternative reality where everyone is black. Oh, except for the weak victims who are all white (train soldiers and white town residents).

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It's a white town.

Spider69 said:

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This was posted in a local FaceBook group. I haven't verified it. But it might be legit.

" This is soooo exciting! If y'all watch this movie one of the historical figures the film is based on [off of] has deep roots to the Lago Vista area! A famous Black rodeo family lived here and made a name for themselves by inventing a rodeo technique. Anyways, super nerdy, but I had to share this piece of local Black History that is now national thanks to Netflix!!! Eeeekkk!!! I added the link below and can provide local history book references if anyone is interested in learning more.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Pickett "

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Quote:

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Pickett's method for bulldogging was biting a cow on the lip and then falling backwards.

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Huh.

Couldn't be more wrong. This movie was so anti-woke I thought it was a caricature of a brietbart fever dream. Nothing but black on black crime, with corrupt black social and political leaders contrasted with the safe, clean white town...well safe and clean until the black people showed up.

Watched last night. Good flick. Tried hard to be very "Tarantino-esq", and got close.

Enjoyed an ending I did not see coming

Train scene made me a little ragey. Maybe don't do what was done? It's a train...

Also people, revolvers DO NOT EJECT SPENT CATRIDGES.

Great, great compellation of actors.

Claude! said:

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Spider69 said:

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This was posted in a local FaceBook group. I haven't verified it. But it might be legit.

" This is soooo exciting! If y'all watch this movie one of the historical figures the film is based on [off of] has deep roots to the Lago Vista area! A famous Black rodeo family lived here and made a name for themselves by inventing a rodeo technique. Anyways, super nerdy, but I had to share this piece of local Black History that is now national thanks to Netflix!!! Eeeekkk!!! I added the link below and can provide local history book references if anyone is interested in learning more.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Pickett "

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Quote:

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Pickett's method for bulldogging was biting a cow on the lip and then falling backwards.

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Huh.

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Bill Pickett was a famous black cowboy. Statue of him in the stockyards in Ft. Worth.

Duncan Idaho said:

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Couldn't be more wrong. This movie was so anti-woke I thought it was a caricature of a brietbart fever dream. Nothing but black on black crime, with corrupt black social and political leaders contrasted with the safe, clean white town...well safe and clean until the black people showed up.

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Haha true. I did find the underlying messaging ironic.

Don't forgot about the one black guy that was trying to get a new start on life getting gunned down as well.

Thought it is a solid fun watch. Kinda funny as well. It was predictable but I enjoyed it. Quick moving.

Duncan Idaho said:

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Couldn't be more wrong. This movie was so anti-woke I thought it was a caricature of a brietbart fever dream. Nothing but black on black crime, with corrupt black social and political leaders contrasted with the safe, clean white town...well safe and clean until the black people showed up.

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Matsui said:

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Thought it is a solid fun watch. Kinda funny as well. It was predictable but I enjoyed it. Quick moving.

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Thanks.

Gonna give it a go.

Does it have karate-esq fighting?

That s**t is getting so old.

BlueSmoke said:

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Bill Pickett was a famous black cowboy. Statue of him in the stockyards in Ft. Worth.

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My post was was off the mark! Discovered today that the film crew in my neighborhood is filming a "Night of the Living Dead" episode.

I love westerns, can't wait to watch this, but it's bittersweet...

In the 90s, I read a book called, "Black, Red and Deadly: Black and Indian Gunfighters of the Oklahoma territory". I was amazed at these incredible characters, and that I'd never heard of them. I was crazy about cowboys and gunfighters, and somehow I'd never heard of the greatest lawman in American history, Bass Reeves. Look him up, he was almost unbelievable.

Fast forward some years, many years, I wrote a screenplay with the star being a fictional character named Shady Thompson, based totally on Bass Reeves. At first, I had Samuel L Jackson in mind for Shady, but then i saw Idris Elba in Promethius, and he became Shady in my mind.

This movie is just another reminder that my movie will never get made and Elba will never be Shady.

I'm still very glad i wrote it, and one day i might turn it into a book. Either way, I'm sure I'll enjoy this movie while wondering if mine would have been better.

I already had a sequel in mind with a gang based on the Rufus Buck Gang. Oh well...

Okay, i watched... Meh... I did like the ending, didn't see it coming. Other than that, it was a lot of bluster and mood that made me want to fast forward often. Not terrible, but my story is better. Oh, well. Guess i need to start writing the book.