Redemption requires blood
Directed by: Michael Polish
Written by: Josiah Nelson
Cast: Gina Carano, Nick Searcy, Donald Cerrone
Swift shot: Don’t ask me to rank my top Westerns, because honestly I hate when I am forced to choose between a lot of things I really enjoy. And, quite frankly, it’s a forced endeavor for most critics. But, I predict Terror on the Prairie will go down as one of the best Westerns ever made in our century. It’s got everything a solid Western needs to have . . . and then some! Not to mention the zeitgeist surrounding how and why it was made in the first place is its own compelling stand-off against the forces of evil. To put it bluntly, if you don’t like this movie, you don’t like Westerns!
I wasn’t sure what to expect with Terror on the Prairie. Typically when a conservative studio releases a film, it’s heavy on values and morals, but it lacks sand. They are just afraid to “go there,” because they fear they’ll drive away the more faith-based crowd. But, I’ve noticed a trend in what I call “common sense folks.” There’s a new party forming that is hungry for content just like this, and I hope that Daily Wire will stick to this winning formula: make a movie you want to make, and make it how you want to make it, for people that love movies and are tired of insanity being labeled “normal.”
Gina Carano plays Hattie McAllister, a city girl who was raised in St. Louis, Missouri. She’s begrudgingly accompanied her husband, Jebediah (Cerrone) to the Western frontier. Truth be told, she’d follow him to Hell if he asked, as it’s clear that she loves Jeb with all her heart.
They have two children, Will (Rhys Becker), who is nine, and Bess who is a newborn not even able to crawl yet. Just the most vulnerable little thing in this incredibly dangerous expanse of terrible things all around her.
It’s clear through very little dialog that Will idolizes his father as his hero. But Jeb and Hattie are struggling to provide for their kids, feeding them on borrowed money and the hope that their little farm will yield enough crop to sustain them all.
Meanwhile, there’s a dark force descending onto their little house on the prairie, Captain Miller (Searcy) who demonstrates his propensity for violence in the opening shot of the film. He and his gang of outlaws happen upon the homestead while Jeb is off in town trying to come up with ways to feed his family another winter.
Even before the Miller gang shows up; though, Hattie has endured all manner of hardships leading up to this terror promised in the title. She’s homesick and ready to leave.
What makes Terror on the Prairie so solid is the silence, it allows the audience to immerse in each scene, devoid of background music or tonal cues. I’d compare the style to the recently released The Northman. And the comparisons don’t end there, as with both films, I was constantly shocked wondering what was going to happen next, with the tension mounting.
This film is a Western opera sans the soundtrack.
You have all the classic elements of good versus evil, man versus woman, a mother willing to do anything to keep her kids alive, and great gunfights that feel genuine . . . unlike, say Stormtroopers that never hit anything. Our heroes won’t come out of this scrap unscathed.
Speaking of that, the violence in this movie, while not frequent, is frequently horrific and brutal. It earns the TV-MA rating, and then some. Let’s be honest, if you had to endure all the horrors of the Western frontier, it would be terrifying.
Everyone involved with this film clearly put their all into making it, and it shows. I was impressed with Carano’s subtle nuanced performance, and I see improvements in her work in every new endeavor. She just keeps getting better at her craft, which is remarkable considering she started out just punching people for a living. And Cerrone, who I will admit I have never heard of before this, was perfect . . . and apparently he also makes his living punching people too! Maybe I am in the wrong business?
The supporting cast who make up the Miller gang also deserve credit, Heath Freeman, Tyler Fischer, and Gabriel-Kane Day Lewis. They played their parts perfectly.
Ultimately, I kept coming back to Cujo and Dog Day Afternoon with this story, where a menacing terror lurks just outside your door, ready to do unspeakable evil things to you and those you love.
Terror on the Prairie is both just like every Western you’ve ever seen and also nothing like any Western you’ve ever seen. The biggest factor is that you get a truly strong female character. You see her struggle, you see her fail, you see her endure, and you see her overcome. She doesn’t do it alone, and she grows as a character along with her family. You also get an iconic villain in Captain Miller, who constantly inappropriately recites scripture to meet his dark agenda and you’re left wondering about his gang and their motivations.
Honestly, if you love Westerns, you need to watch this movie. Ignore all your politics, all your prejudices, and watch it as a movie-lover. Because, it’s a movie you should love.
