THE STORY – In Oregon in 1933, Samuel Murphy is torn from his daughter and sent to a brutal work camp. Warden Clancy tempts him with early release if he smuggles gold through deadly wilderness, but betrayal festers within the crew, and Murphy questions how far he’ll go to see his child again.
THE CAST – Ethan Hawke, Russell Crowe, Julia Jones, Austin Amelio, Avi Nash & Sam Hazeldine
THE TEAM – Padraic McKinley (Director), Matthew Booi, Matthew Chapman & Shelby Gaines (Writers)
THE RUNNING TIME – 112 Minutes
There is always at least one historical drama that premieres at Sundance and lassos the attention of both critics and general audiences. Last year, it was Clint Bentley’s “Train Dreams,” starring Joel Edgerton and Felicity Jones, which recently secured four Oscar nominations, including Best Picture. From rugged aesthetics to comfortingly familiar tales of heroism on horseback, the Western period piece will assuredly never go out of style. This year’s hardy fable is Padraic McKinley’s (2024’s “The Exorcism“) Depression-era crime thriller, “The Weight,” starring a wildly impressive ensemble that includes Ethan Hawke (“The Black Phone“), Russell Crowe (“Gladiator“), and Julia Jones (“Wind River“). Set in 1933 Oregon, the drama follows Hawke’s Murphy, an evicted widower with a seven-year-old daughter, Penny (Avy Berry), who, after a tussle with the law, is separated from his child and placed in a labor camp to work off his sentence. Feeling defeated and hopeless, Murphy decides to prove his skills, intelligence, and work ethic to his supervisors and fellow laborers, drawing the attention of his surly but seemingly fair foreman, Clancy (Crowe).
With President Roosevelt ordering mines across the United States to shut down and their gold returned to the government, tensions run high. As expected, the mandate does not sit well with many of the workers. Desperate to shave time off his imprisonment and return to Penny, Murphy accepts a covert deal from Clancy: an early release in exchange for helping smuggle gold bars through the perilous Pacific Northwest wilderness. After cautiously selecting a few men he trusts from the labor camp, the group sets out to attempt the improbable, if not seemingly impossible. If any of the gold is lost, the men’s lives are at risk, and even if they succeed, execution remains a very real possibility. With the exception of Julia Jones’ incredible, badass, and resilient Anna, who joins the crew midway, the group consists largely of men battling both nature and human enemies. The mission, unsurprisingly, does not go as planned. Loyalties shift, tensions rise, and the journey takes a turn for the worse. There are plenty of gunfights, river escapes, classic car chases, and brutal hand-to-hand combat to satisfy Western action fans. While the stakes never feel overwhelmingly high due to Murphy’s assured resourcefulness and the story beats are often predictable, “The Weight” commits fully to its grit, grime, and gore.
The performances provide the film’s greatest strength, with the entire ensemble delivering consistently strong work. Hawke gives an intensely physical performance as a desperate, determined father, resulting in one of the most powerful turns of his career. Crowe’s portrayal of the morally ambiguous Clancy is potent and effective, even with limited screen time. Jones makes a strong impression as Anna, and though the role fits the familiar Western sidekick mold, she more than holds her own. Austin Amelio, Avi Nash, and Sam Hazeldine also contribute solid, textured performances that elevate their secondary roles.
Written by Shelby Gaines, Matthew Chapman, and Matthew Booi, this modestly budgeted thriller feels comfortably familiar. It resembles the kind of rugged, satisfying genre film that might easily be discovered late at night on TNT back in the day. A dangerous covert mission, a devoted father fighting to reunite with his child, and a lightly developed romance are hardly new narrative elements. Still, with impressive craftsmanship, committed performances, and a suitably touching conclusion, McKinley amplifies the film’s strongest qualities. Its echoes of classic 1970s Western action cinema also tap into a powerful sense of nostalgia that will garner the love and respect of dadcore cinema lovers everywhere.
Technically, “The Weight” is a feast for the senses. Brothers Shelby and Latham Gaines provide a fiercely effective score that is both memorable and complementary, effortlessly setting the tone. They also scored Hawke’s 2023 Sundance feature “Wildcat,” starring his daughter Maya Hawke. Matteo Cocco’s stark cinematography beautifully captures the vast yet ominous landscapes of the Pacific Northwest. Combined with Esther Walz’s (“Resident Evil”) authentic costuming and Cora Pratz’s subtle production and art design, the film is a technical home run on an indie budget.
Brutal, visually striking, and richly atmospheric, “The Weight” could be seen as the symbolic offspring of “Train Dreams” and “The Revenant,” while still standing confidently on its own. It may not break new ground, but with a solid story, excellent performances, and impressive technical work, it succeeds as a well-crafted historical drama. Anchored by Ethan Hawke’s physically demanding and emotionally charged performance, and balancing heartfelt moments with gritty action and punishing scenarios, “The Weight” ultimately completes its mission with confidence and skill.
