Western (2018)
85%RT Audience Score: 73%
Awards & Nominations: NA
Western earns the viewer’s attention with an unpredictable, patiently told tale that evokes the spirit of the titular genre while adding its own unique touches
Western” is like a cowboy hat – it’s both straightforward and mysterious. The film explores the dynamics of male relationships and the impact of colonization, all while keeping you on the edge of your seat. It’s like a slow burn that eventually ignites into a fiery climax. And let’s not forget about Meinhard, the enigmatic character who keeps you guessing until the very end. Overall, “Western” is a must-see for anyone who loves a good ol’ fashioned western with a modern twist.
Production Company(ies)
Act III Communications, Buttercup Films Ltd., The Princess Bride Ltd.,
Distributor
Cinema Guild
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
Filming Location(s)
MPAA / Certificate
Year of Release
2018
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby
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Aspect ratio:NA
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Runtime:2h 0m
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Language(s):
-
Country of origin:Austria, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Switzerland
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Feb 16, 2018 Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 28, 2018
Genre(s)
Drama
Keyword(s)
Western, Meinhard Neumann, Reinhardt Wetrek, Syuleyman Alilov Letifov, Veneta Fragnova, Viara Borisova, Kevin Bashev, Valeska Grisebach, Maren Ade, Jonas Dornbach, Janine Jackowski, Michel Merkt, drama, German, box office, limited release, Cinema Guild, directed by Valeska Grisebach, written by Valeska Grisebach, produced by Maren Ade, Jonas Dornbach, Valeska Grisebach, Janine Jackowski, Michel Merkt, 96% Tomatometer, 73 reviews, 73% audience score, flat aspect ratio, unpredictable, patient, unique, Athina Rachel Tsangari, Chevalier, Claire Denis, Beau Travail, economic imperialism, male dominance, colonisation, all-male spaces, intimacy, labour, unspoken bonds, constant threat, violence, hierarchy, grounded, sincere
Worldwide gross: NA
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): NA
US/Canada gross: NA
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend:
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Reinhardt Wetrek – Vincent
Syuleyman Alilov Letifov – Adrian
Veneta Fragnova – Veneta
Viara Borisova – Vyara
Kevin Bashev – Wanko
Self – Valeska Grisebach (Director, Writer)
Maren Ade – Producer
Jonas Dornbach – Producer
Janine Jackowski – Producer
Michel Merkt – Producer
Director(s)
Valeska Grisebach
Writer(s)
Valeska Grisebach
Producer(s)
Maren Ade, Jonas Dornbach, Valeska Grisebach, Janine Jackowski, Michel Merkt
Film Festivals
Cannes, Venice, Toronto
Awards & Nominations
NA
Academy Awards
All Critics (73) | Top Critics (20) | Fresh (70) | Rotten (3)
There’s swagger and bluster. There are echoes of Athina Rachel Tsangari’s Chevalier, and at least one purposeful reference to Claire Denis’s Beau Travail.
April 23, 2018 | Rating: 3/5
Tara Brady
Irish Times
TOP CRITIC
Like its title, “Western” is both startlingly direct and full of resonance and ambiguity.
April 19, 2018
Justin Chang
Los Angeles Times
TOP CRITIC
A meandering but quietly absorbing tale of comradeship amid social tensions.
April 18, 2018 | Rating: 3/5
Edward Porter
Times (UK)
TOP CRITIC
Like the Hollywood westerns it references, it’s a story of economic imperialism as an assertion of male dominance, the political implications of colonisation hanging in the air like stale sweat.
April 15, 2018 | Rating: 4/5
Simran Hans
Observer (UK)
TOP CRITIC
Meinhard becomes increasingly enigmatic – was he a soldier? Is he a liar? What does he really want? – and [Valeska] Grisebach, sometimes infuriatingly, offers us tantalising hints of a drama that never quite fully unfolds.
April 13, 2018 | Rating: 3/5
Kevin Maher
Times (UK)
TOP CRITIC
Western is allied to Claire Denis’s Beau Travail and Kelly Reichardt’s Old Joy, which observe the intimacy of all-male spaces. Grisebach too explores the ways men labour, act and interact, their unspoken and brittle bonds.
April 13, 2018
Elena Gorfinkel
Sight & Sound
TOP CRITIC
…a film that simmers rather than boils, but Grisebach conjures an atmosphere and intensity which seeps into every inch of the screen.
February 13, 2020
Jim Ross
TAKE ONE Magazine
The film manages to stick around more than I expected, and the memories I have of it are pleasant indeed.
January 9, 2020
Ard Vijn
ScreenAnarchy
The feeling of constant threat adds density to an atmosphere that rises as the true protagonist of the film. [Full Review in Spanish]
July 18, 2019 | Rating: 4.5/5
Víctor López G.
Espinof
Perhaps its most lingering and disquieting idea is that perhaps the western, with its mythical visions of cowboys taming a wild land, wasn’t quite as noble and benign as once we imagined.
June 3, 2019 | Rating: 3/4
Mattie Lucas
From the Front Row
Neumann does an impressive work here, embracing his first role with natural ease and assuming great part of the responsibility in making of the tale a grounded and sincere experience.
February 28, 2019 | Rating: 4/5
Filipe Freitas
Always Good Movies
Western knows there is a hierarchy in remembered violence.
January 24, 2019
Tara Judah
Desist Film…
Plot
A group of German construction workers take on a challenging job in the Bulgarian countryside, where their sense of adventure is awakened but their prejudices are also brought to the surface in Western.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
The film features Meinhard Neumann in his first acting role, and he impresses with his natural performance.
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