Red Rock West

Directed by John Dahl, Red Rock West follows Nicolas Cage’s Michael Williams as he lands in a whole mess of trouble after arriving in the titular small town. Filmmaker Dahl, armed with a script written alongside Rick Dahl, delivers a slow-moving yet predominantly engaging film noir that benefits from its stylish visuals and raft of memorable performances, as, in terms of the latter, Dahl elicits terrific work from a scene-stealing cast that includes Lara Flynn Boyle, J.T. Walsh, and Dennis Hopper – with Cage’s predictably compelling turn effectively anchoring the proceedings through its sluggish stretches. And while the movie’s opening stretch has been suffused with plot twist after plot twist, Red Rock West segues into a comparatively sedate midsection that’s never quite as electrifying or engrossing as one might’ve hoped – although such concerns are rendered moot in the face of an eventful climax that effectively wraps up the various story threads. By the time the note-perfect final scene rolls around, Red Rock West has cemented its place as an above-average endeavor that never quite becomes as enthralling as its premise and roster of players might’ve indicated.

*** out of ****