The Kid

Ever since I saw the remake of The Magnificent Seven I have been a fan of Western films.  As such I was very intrigued by the premise of The Kid (I am also a huge fan of Ethan Hawke who I think is very underrated as an actor) so I went to see it yesterday.  A young boy named Rio (Jake Schur) kills his father in self-defense after the latter beats his mother to death.  He and his sister Sara (Leila George) go on the run through the Southwest but he is tormented by what he has done.  They encounter the legendary Billy the Kid (Dane DeHaan) and his gang just before he is captured by Sheriff Pat Garrett (Hawke).  Rio and Sara decide to travel with Garrett as he takes Billy to justice in Santa Fe.  Both Garrett and Billy sense what Rio has done and they each have occasion to tell him about the first man they killed.  Each murder was committed under similar circumstances but each man chose to take a different path, one becoming a man of justice and the other an outlaw.  When Sara is kidnapped by her uncle (Chris Pratt) in retribution for his brother's murder, Rio must decide whether to enlist Garrett's help to bring him to justice or to join Billy the Kid and seek vengeance.  I found the story of a boy who must decide what kind of man he wants to become to be very compelling and both Hawke and DeHaan (who is hit or miss with me) give very strong performances.  It was also quite interesting to see Pratt play a villain and he was more than up for the challenge.  The action sequences are fantastic and the final shoot-out is one of the best I've seen.  I also really enjoyed the sepia toned cinematography with beautiful wide shots of the Southwest.  Because this movie was released opposite Captain Marvel it is very much under the radar but, if you are a fan of the genre, it is definitely worth seeking out.