November-December 2021 - NOW SHOWING: The Harder They Fall (Review)

Gritty, bloody, and a wild ride every minute on the screen. The Harder They Fall, directed by Jeymes Samuel, was a brilliant experience of westerns told by a black director and cast. Filmed in New Mexico during the heights of COVID, The Harder They Fall stars Idris Alba, Jonathan Majors, Regina King, and Zazie Beetz. Nat Love (Majors) spends his life exacting revenge on a brutal outlaw, Rufus Buck (Alba). When Nat discovers Rufus is released from prison, he gathers his band of renegades to finish the mission of retribution.

The casting of the film is magnificent. No one was a weak link. Danielle Deadwyler’s performance as Cathay Williams was exquisite. The quiet fury she brings to the character is felt with every scene. Regina King, who has been an inspiration since 227, did not disappoint as “Treacherous Trudy”. You can see the years of experience in this film. King continues to prove she is an actress that melds into the character - becoming one. Majors, who dazzled audiences in the series, Lovecraft Country, which sadly will not see a second season, kept me glued to the screen. Majors oozes every emotion from head to toe. And of course, Idris Alba, the man whose presence on screen could easily overshadow other cast members, melted into the fold, allowing others to come forth while continuing to give us the acting chops he’s known for, and we, the fans, crave.

The Harder They Fall is a glowing testament to black filmmaking and honoring the real-life legends ignored in the old West. The Harder They Fall is streaming on Netflix.