Hell or High Water wears the twists and turns of an intelligently conceived, all-is-not-as-it-seems narrative lightly, boasting ample vitality but opting to keep things largely low-key and giving a sensational cast – particularly an on-fire Bridges – room to do their thing.
There’s no Bonnie and Clyde-style glamour but the film has an emotional depth that you don’t often find in a heist thriller.
Though this is a thriller with a conscience, it doesn’t fall back on black-and-white morality to get us on the side of its outlaw protagonists.
Jeff Bridges shares top billing with the Texas landscape in a heist thriller shot through with acidic humour.
Taut, tense and burnished by Jeff Bridges at his best. This is a deceptively simple tale of Texan cops and robbers that drags the Old West into the modern age.
Hell or High Water: Former armed robber Noel 'Razor' Smith sheds light on the accuracy of heist scenes
Edinburgh Filmhouse, Edinburgh from Friday October 21, 2016, until Thursday October 27, 2016. More info: www.filmhousecinema.com
Glasgow Film Theatre, Glasgow from Tuesday December 27, 2016, until Friday December 30, 2016. More info: http://www.glasgowfilm.org/theatre/