Film Review: ‘The Old Way’: Nicolas Cage Fails to Deliver in a Period Western

R | 1h 35min | Drama, Western | 6 January 2023 (USA)

For the bulk of his 40-year career Nicolas Cage has alternated between mainstream and art-house with relative ease. He’s collected big paychecks for the crowd-pleasers (“The Family Man,” “The Rock,” “Con Air,” “Face/Off,” the “National Treasure” franchise) so that he could afford to take lesser compensation for “deeper” ventures (“Red Rock West,” “Leaving Las Vegas,” “Adaptation,” “Mandy,” and “Pig”).

“The Old Way” is an odd duck in Cage’s canon as it is too low-key, low-budget, and dark for the masses, yet too lightweight and not daring enough for those looking for something off the beaten path. Although it contains elements of “The Searchers,” “Unforgiven,” “Silverado,” and both versions of “True Grit,” there’s next to nothing in it to make it memorable, save for the performance of a juvenile actress who thoroughly transcends the generic and mediocre material.

Turning Over a New Leaf

Once a cold and exacting bounty hunter, Colton Briggs (Cage) has been on the straight and narrow for decades and seems content operating a general store in a nearby one-horse Wyoming town. He’s married to the beautiful Ruth (Kerry Knuppe) and is the father of the thoroughly unflappable preteen daughter Brooke (Ryan Kiera Armstrong).

Colton’s abstinence from violence and mayhem comes to an abrupt halt with the arrival of James McAllister (Noah Le Gros, son of character actor James Le Gros), the now-grown offspring of an outlaw Colton gunned down some 20 years earlier who is looking for revenge.

As it takes place in the first 15 minutes, it wouldn’t be a huge spoiler to reveal that McAllister and his band of largely inept accomplices murder Ruth in the hopes of baiting Colton into pursuing them over untold miles of unfriendly terrain. Why they just don’t take Colton and Brooke out at the same time is just the first of the many gaping holes in the script by Carl W. Lucas.

Colton Briggs (Nicolas Cage, L) gets advice from Marshal Jarret (Nic Searcy), in "The Old Way" (Kehana Krumme)

Tracking McAllister for a litany of other (never identified) crimes, U.S. Marshal Jarret (Nick Searcy), who is also leading a posse who are not really good at their jobs, discourages Colton from seeking frontier justice by pointing out that leaving Brook behind and alone, or taking her with him, are both bad options.

Flatly ignoring this sound advice, Colton and Brooke hit the trail determined to avenge Ruth’s murder while also staying two steps ahead of Jarret and his posse.

It might come as a surprise to most, but this is the first Western Cage has starred in, and it’s easy to see why he never did so before. Cage is an actor of considerable range who can summon rage at the drop of a hat, yet he displays neither of those talents here. His Colton remains annoyed for the duration, and annoyance is just a muted and unengaging version of rage.

A Star in the Making

Cage’s dull rendering is made all the more glaring by the astounding yet measured performance of Armstrong. Known for previous roles in “The Art of Racing in the Rain,” “IT: Chapter II,” “The Tomorrow War,” and playing the lead in the 2022 remake of “Firestarter,” Armstrong has the chops, the pipes, and the mature-for-her-age looks to become a major star. It will be interesting to see which filmmakers are smart enough to hire her for future projects.

Brooke (Ryan Kiera Armstrong) is the daughter of Colton Briggs (Nicolas Cage), in "The Old Way." (Saban Films)

Credit to screenwriter Lukas and director Brett Donowho who (almost) make up for 70 minutes of lackluster storytelling and character development by delivering a startling, unconventional, and oddly poetic ending. If they had only taken similarly daring chances during the lead-up, their finished product would have resulted in something far more memorable.

Dangerous Sets

It is worth noting that something that took place during the filming of “The Old Way” mirrored a similar event that occurred previously on the set of the doomed Western “Rust” involving Alec Baldwin. Armorer (weapons master) Hannah Gutierrez-Reed was in charge of ensuring the safety of a gun, but when Baldwin discharged it, it resulted in the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and the wounding of director Joel Souza. 

In the same month, while shooting in October 2021 in Montana, Gutierrez-Reed discharged a weapon without warning, drawing the ire of her fellow crew members and Cage, who walked off the set.

The number of fatalities or serious injuries from similar occurrences on movie sets dating back to 1915 is a mere 17, which includes the two in October of 2021. The odds of two nearly identical events taking place in the same month involving the same “specialist” are virtually incalculable. Perhaps Gutierrez-Reed should look into choosing a different profession, if she hasn’t done so already.

Colton Briggs (Nicolas Cage)’s abstinence from violence and mayhem comes to an abrupt halt when his wife is murdered, in "The Old Way." (Saban Films)

‘The Old Way’ Director: Brett Donowho Stars: Nicolas Cage, Ryan Kiera Armstrong, Noah Le Gros, Kerry Knuppe, Nick Searcy Running Time: 1 hour, 35 minutes MPAA Rating: R Release Date: Jan. 6, 2023 Rating: 2.5 out of 5