Peter Dinklage hunts a ferocious Juliette Lewis in a riveting period thriller that captivates from the first savage frame. Adapted from the acclaimed novel by bestselling author Joe R. Lansdale, The Thicket shows zero mercy to the weak and forlorn in a brutal, icy setting. It is kill or be killed as a desperate man searches for the bank robber who kidnapped his innocent younger sister. Human nature’s ugliest tenets are put on display as those with a semblance of honor and decency battle for survival against iniquitous villains.
Into the Thicket and After a Kidnapped Girl
At the turn of the 20th century in Eastern Texas, teenager Lula Parker (Esmé Creed-Miles) weeps bitterly after the death of her father. Both parents lie lifeless in their bed from a smallpox epidemic that has ravaged rural farms. Jack (Levon Hawke), Lula’s older brother, holds his sister close as they await their grandfather for an unceremonious funeral.
Meanwhile, a masked motorcycle rider crashes another funeral with shocking panache. The attendees recoil in terror as the wanted bandit, Cutthroat Bill (Lewis), reveals her slashed throat and scarred face. Bill hisses in her raspy voice that she’s come to take what’s rightfully hers before kicking open the coffin. She has further business in town as her ruthless gang joins the crime spree on horseback.
The next day, following a devastating chain of events, Jack begs for help as an angry posse prepares to lynch one of the murderous outlaws. Cutthroat Bill took his sister and absconded into the frozen wilderness. He’ll do anything to get her back. Jack’s claim of a sizable reward for Cutthroat Bill’s bounty catches the ear of a nearby grave digger. After a phenomenal introduction to their characters, former slave Eustace Howard (Gbenga Akinnagbe) and his partner, Reginald Jones (Peter Dinklage), decide to claim that reward.
A Cutthroat Juliette Lewis Versus a Badass Peter Dinklage
Cutthroat Bill likes to collect beautiful girls for reasons that are made clear as the narrative progresses. She warns the absolutely petrified Lula early in her kidnapping that “pretty don’t survive” in a world where men prey on young women. The sheltered Lula shivers in her boots as the gang’s ruffians lustily eye her. She’s alone in the clutches of an unrepentant killer who holds her hostage on a tenuous whim.
Lewis sets the screen ablaze in one of the best performances of her storied career. Cutthroat Bill is a complex and layered character whose violent personality can explode in an instant. But she also shows a bizarre, softer side when high on smoked narcotics or lost in the memory of her own troubled youth. Cutthroat Bill was forged from a cauldron of abuse and malice. She passes on those lethal lessons to anyone with the gumption to learn. Lula must find a way to appease her or risk becoming another discarded doll. The relationship dynamic between Lewis and Creed-Miles is absolutely fascinating to behold.
Dinklage has played tough characters in the past, but Jones is on another badass level. He also becomes a tutor of sorts to an ignorant Jack, who spouts Bible verses without really understanding their meaning or purpose. Jones has been abandoned, underestimated, and the brunt of crude jokes his entire life. His tragic backstory is revealed as a foolish Jack gains confidence and attempts to show fortitude. Jones knows that arrogance and hubris lead to a permanent dirt nap. But he intrinsically wants to rescue Lula despite his outward demeanor of a money-hungry bounty hunter. Jones has a kind heart buried deep within his gruff exterior.
A Lethal Peter Dinklage
Director Elliott Lester (Nightingale, Aftermath) does a banner job of depicting both ensembles in truly unforgiving terrain. The bitter conditions become another arduous obstacle as Cutthroat Bill’s gang and Jones’ vigilant pursuers struggle with the equally deadly environment. Cold, hunger, and the need for shelter are constant factors. This isn’t a film where the characters have limitless stamina and full bellies. Jones realizes that winter’s onslaught will cover Cutthroat Bill’s tracks. They have to plow ahead or Lula will be lost forever. This sense of urgency is palpable and ramps up the tension in a film already bursting at the seams with angst.
The Thicket is a cinematic beast on all fronts. Every aspect resonates after a gut punch ending that’s not easy to digest. The biggest quibble is that it should have been longer and more epic. The hour and forty-eight minute runtime races by too quickly. Audiences suffered through three labored hours of Kevin Costner’s Horizon. The Thicket’s characters are richly explored, but you are left wanting more of this brilliant western.
The Thicket is a production of Tubi Films, Nomadic Pictures, Estuary Films, and Next Production. It will be released theatrically on September 6th from Samuel Goldwyn Films.
