Old Henry
Shout! Factory | Release Date: October 1, 2021 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
69
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 18 Critic Reviews
Positive:
13
Mixed:
5
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
88
Chicago Sun-TimesRichard RoeperOct 7, 2021
The ensemble is uniformly excellent, but this is Tim Blake Nelson’s showcase from the moment he appears onscreen, and he delivers world-weary greatness every step of the way. Read full review
83
Original-CinKaren GordonOct 6, 2021
If you’re yearning for a Western with a vintage feel, and a touch of mythos, writer/director Potsy Ponciroli’s homage to the genre, Old Henry will nicely fill that bill. Read full review
83
The Film StageJared MobarakSep 30, 2021
The acting is top-notch throughout, matching the film’s quiet yet dark nature. Read full review
83
TheWrapSteve PondSep 17, 2021
The Western is a genre weighted down with dark history, and Henry is a man in the same position, haunted to a degree that Nelson makes transfixing. Read full review
80
Wall Street JournalJoe MorgensternSep 30, 2021
The greatest reward of Old Henry is Mr. Nelson’s performance. Read full review
80
Arizona RepublicWeldon B. JohnsonSep 28, 2021
While it might not be the most original story, it is well done and Nelson's portrayal of farmer-turned-reluctant-gunslinger is worth the price of a ticket. Read full review
80
Screen DailyTim GriersonSep 17, 2021
Writer-director Potsy Ponciroli has crafted a taut Western that borrows heavily from familiar themes and storylines, but it has been constructed with such confidence and precision that one can’t help but be seduced by the picture’s stripped-down spell. Read full review
80
The TelegraphRobbie CollinSep 17, 2021
It’s a film that creaks as reassuringly as leather. Read full review
80
The Hollywood ReporterDavid RooneySep 17, 2021
An atmospheric slice of vintage Americana that shows there’s plenty of life left in seasoned Western archetypes, Old Henry gets much of its mileage from the somewhat unexpected lead casting of Tim Blake Nelson. Read full review
75
RogerEbert.comGlenn KennyOct 1, 2021
Eventually—about the time it demonstrates Henry’s expertise as a killer of men, in several well-done action mini-sequences—we learn the details of Henry’s past, and your overall enjoyment of the movie may hinge on whether or not you’re willing to, as they say, go with it. Read full review
75
Movie NationRoger MooreSep 22, 2021
It’s the title character and the great character actor playing him that turns this otherwise decent indie Western into something special. And Nelson pulls that off every time he squints or opens his mouth. Read full review
70
Los Angeles TimesRobert AbeleSep 30, 2021
Ponciroli shows natural flair for holstered and unholstered suspense (if not always story logic), plus he’s got a worthy partner in the muted exteriors and sparsely lit interiors of John Matysiak’s cinematography, and a cast that dutifully plays along with every stare-down and line of colorfully poetic cowboy dialogue. Read full review
70
VarietyOwen GleibermanSep 17, 2021
We know in our bones where the movie is going, and it’s a steady enjoyable ride, a touch prosaic at times, one that turns into a kind of minimalist chamber-room version of “Unforgiven,” with a surprisingly touching upshot. Read full review
60
The New York TimesBen KenigsbergSep 30, 2021
Old Henry makes a solid, honorable go of proving once again that the foursquare western isn’t dead, though in paying homage to its forebears, it inevitably stands in their very long shadows. Read full review
50
Austin ChronicleTrace SauveurSep 29, 2021
As it stands, there’s a healthy amount to admire and for some it may be enough to scratch a certain itch. But much of Old Henry feels a lot like its protagonist: worn-out, weathered, and old. Read full review
42
The PlaylistSophie Monks KaufmanSep 17, 2021
Although there is much to admire on a technical and craft level, the absence of storytelling innovation gives Old Henry the sleepiness of a familiar lullaby or nursery rhyme. Read full review
42
IndieWireChristina NewlandSep 17, 2021
Old Henry is a retread of the same dusty plains and macho bonds we’ve seen too many times before. It tells its slim story competently, but it does so little beyond that that it can’t help but feel mediocre. Read full review
40
The GuardianXan BrooksSep 17, 2021
Old Henry is a determinedly low-aiming affair. Read full review
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