Directed by John Lee Hancock

Starring: Kevin Costner, Woody Harrelson, Kathy Bates

Rated R for strong violence and bloody images

The Highwaymen is a Netflix original film starring Kevin Costner and Woody Harrelson. Both Costner and Harrelson play two former Texas Rangers who are tasked with searching and capturing the infamous Bonnie and Clyde in the Great Depression era. The two pair go throughout Texas and the midwest to capture the pair before they can murder more people. The film off the bat presents itself as based on a true story. It is hard to tell what is true and what is fiction but it is interesting to tell what happened behind the scene to capture Bonnie and Clyde. The film starts off with Hamer (played by Kevin Costner) being retired and wanting no part of the manhunt at first. Then he agrees and is joined by Gault (played by Woody Harrelson) in the search.

The film does present interesting ideas such as old age can have an affect on someone. In the first act of the film, Hamer has someone throw glass bottles in the air for him to shoot it. Hamer of course misses multiple times, indicating that he may not have it in him to be a part of this case. In another scene, Hamer is chasing a kid only be outran and breathing heavily towards the end of the run. It goes to show that these characters do have their flaws in trying to prove something.

Both Costner and Harrelson do a fine job with they are given. Costner plays the straight man and is channeling his inner Clint Eastwood. Harrelson is the one with the comedic lines and is the second man. The film is ultimately a road trip movie but without a clear destination. Most of the film is the pair in a car driving around, hence the tile of the film. The pair do have good banter between back and forth but in the end there are some long, drawn out scenes. The film’s run time is over two hours, and it shows. There were a few scenes where it could have been cut or omitted such as the bar scene. I did find some interesting moments in the scene but overall was not really necessary to the plot.

The film does have missed opportunity such as Hamer’s wife only being present in the first act. The sole reason she is in the film is to have her convince Hamer to join the manhunt. Other than that, there is not much to her. Her scenes could have been omitted and it would not changed a thing. Another point is Gault is feeling the weight of the Great Depression. He is unemployed and lives in a small home. This aspect is not explored more. Maybe he has a different perspective on Bonnie and Clyde. The film does show that Bonnie and Clyde were heroes to the poor at the time since the pair were robbing banks.

Overall The Highwaymen is an average historical mystery drama. The film is not bad nor is it is great. I found it entertaining at the least due to the two leads who do a good job. If you like historical dramas, then there is enjoyment to be had but I would recommend to watch if there is nothing else to watch on Netflix.

3/4