Director
David Mackenzie
Leading Actors/Actresses
Ben Foster and Chris Pine
Supporting Actors/Actresses
Jeff Bridges and Gil Birmingham
Genre
Neo-Western Heist
Language
English
Awards
Hell or High Water was nominated for the Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor for Bridges, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Film Editing.
Date of Release
August 12th, 2016
Producer
Sidney Kimmel, Peter Berg, Carla Hacken, and Julie Yorn
Setting and Context
Western Texas
Narrator and Point of View
Hell or High Water is told through a third-person point of view (it is centered primarily around Tanner and Toby Howard, however).
Tone and Mood
Violent, Tense, High-Energy, Relentless, Solemn, and Fun
Protagonist and Antagonist
Tanner and Toby Howard (protagonist) vs. the Texas Midland Banks which have taken advantage of their family for years (antagonist)
Major Conflict
The major conflict of the film involves the brothers' attempts at robbing enough money from the Texas Midlands bank branches so that they could save their family home and ensure a better future for their kids.
Climax
The climax of Hell or High Water occurs when Tanner goes up on a mountain so his brother could escape with the stolen money for their family, killing Ranger Alberto in the process.
Foreshadowing
Alberto's death is foreshadowed by a conversation Alberto and Marcus have in their motel room.
Understatement
The effect poverty has had on Toby's children is understated in the film.
Innovations in Filming or Lighting or Camera Techniques
Hell or High Water is no doubt a well-made and well-shot film, yet it was not innovative in filming or lighting or camera techniques.
Allusions
To the following films: Sicario (2015), The Thomas Crown Affair (1968), Inside Man (2006), No Country for Old Men (2007), Unforgiven (1992), The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (1966), and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969).
Paradox
At the start of the film, it is paradoxical that the brothers would want to save their farm when there is seemingly nothing of value there. However, we later learn that this is not paradoxical because there is a lot of oil on their property (which will set up their family financially for life).
Parallelism
N/A
