Ripping the Old West a new one.

As one of cinema’s formative genre’s, the Western has seen it all. With root’s going back to Hollywood’s inception, this is a genre that’s had to adapt to survive.

From the very dawn of cinema, through the John Ford and John Wayne years, to the genre’s 60s reinvention and beyond, the Western’s popularity has waxed and waned over time, yet it’s endured, even as the movie landscape has shifted around it.

That said, despite the genre’s evolution, one thing remains depressingly true. The Western remains almost universally white.

Discovering that his mortal enemy, Rufus Buck (Idris Elba), has been prematurely released from prison, outlaw Nate Love (Jonathan Majors) rounds up his gang of gun slingers and misfits to hunt him down and seek revenge. But with Buck reuniting his own gang of cutthroat outlaws and ready to take back what he believes is owed to him by any means necessary, the price for revenge will be a heavy one.

Bombastic and brazenly bloody, The Harder They Fall is a film that’s happy to have its cake and eat it. Unapologetic in its reverence to the genre, the film nevertheless has no time for retelling old tales, as it happily embraces the spirit of the Wild West while gleefully ripping it a new one.

Director Jeymes Samuel has gone on record regarding his unabashed love for Westerns, and it’s hard not to see this adoration come flooding through here, as much of his debut feature plays out like a glowing tribute to everything from pulpy television serials to Peckinpah to Ford, with a huge dose of Tarantino thrown in for good measure. Yet, despite The Harder They Fall tipping its hat to its forbearers, the film crackles with entirely its own energy.

Honestly, it’s rather shocking that this has to be a talking point in this day and age, but chief among the things that mark The Harder They Fall out from the Western crowd is its steadfast dedication to giving its overwhelmingly Black ensemble the platform to shine.

Quite how the stories of real-life Black Western characters like Nate Love, Rufus Buck, “Treacherous” Trudy Smith, and Cherokee Bill have yet to see the light of day is an absolute travesty, but the fact that The Harder They Fall not only puts these characters front and centre, but stacks its cast with them is a genuine breath of fresh air.

There’s a palpable buzz about the entire film that you won’t have felt from any Western for quite some time, and it’s driven largely by this gung-ho introduction to characters and to a world that has somehow been kept hidden for so many years.

And it’s this fresh, invigorating energy that allows The Harder They Fall to ride through its rough patches without losing much momentum. A little too long and suffering from pacing issues, the film certainly isn’t smooth sailing, yet the sheer overriding vivacity of it all pulls us through.

With this, the film’s plot is fairly basic, and the story lacks a certain degree of substance, however, rather than hold it back, The Harder They Fall uses this simplicity to its advantage. Playing out as something of a throwback to the Westerns of old, the film’s revenge-heavy plot refuses to get bogged down in the kind of unfocused tangents that come so easily with such an expansive cast, instead remaining laser-focused on its key players and the task at hand.

And, my word, what a cast they are. Playing a huge part in the film’s infectious energy, every member of the ensemble play their part, with everyone from Idris Elba to Zazie Beetz putting in a shift and looking like they’re having an absolute blast while doing it. However, of this all-star collective, it’s Jonathan Majors and Regina King who really steal the show.

As the heart of The Harder They Fall’s emotion, Majors shines in what is yet more proof that super stardom is only just round the corner. It’s a performance of effortless charm and understated power that grabs your attention and doesn’t let go, while, alongside him, Regina King puts in a barnstorming turn full of charismatic menace and alluring swagger.

Allowing his stacked cast the platform to shine, Samuel loads his film up with so much style and bravura it’s impossible to resist. With a huge injection of Peckinpah and a gigantic dollop of Tarantino, the film’s editing and action are an absolute blast from start to finish, as the director throws in tricks and flourishes with gleeful abandon.

Steeped in blood and unashamedly violent, yet never once overstepping the mark, The Harder They Fall rides high on its overt stylisation, and while this brand of in-your-face filmmaking could easily ring hollow, Samuel’s prowess and sheer commitment win through.

Weaving itself into the very fabric of The Harder They Fall’s style, the film’s soundtrack is solid gold and a key component of its success. Popping with dub, soul, and hip-hop notes but underscored by a sound steeped in Western lore, the film is like nothing you’ll have ever heard before and completely set apart from a genre that’s rarely ventured outside its musical comfort zone.

Even as the plot sags, it’s the film’s sound that keeps the energy up and our attention riding high. It’s quite some achievement, especially for a genre that, despite all its positives, can be very one-note, and, quite honestly, it’s just nice to hear something a bit different and with more personality than the usual earnest folkiness and twanging guitars.

To anyone who’s ever had the pleasure of hearing Jeymes Samuel speak, especially regarding this project, there will be no surprise as to just how much of the director’s irrepressible personality has gone into The Harder They Fall. The man’s passion and awe-inspiring enthusiasm positively seep out of every one of the film’s pores, and with a little help from producer Jay-Z and the enviable freedom that Netflix have afforded him, The Harder They Fall sees Samuel come out all guns blazing.

It really is quite a statement to make on your debut outing, and while The Harder They Fall doesn’t exactly push any boundaries story-wise, Samuel has nonetheless produced something here that feels truly revolutionary. Make no mistake, from the cast to the style to its zeitgeist capturing energy, this film has all the markings of a huge Netflix hit, one that hopefully spells big things for both Samuel and Western representation going forward.

While it certainly feels a little style over substance at times, The Harder They Fall overcomes its lack of depth and the familiarities of its plot with a style and an energy like no Western you’ve ever seen. Bolstered by a god-tier cast and Jeymes Samuel’s striking direction, The Harder They Fall is a bold, brazen, and bombastically bloody shoot-em-up that lights a stick of dynamite under its genre, before dragging it kicking and screaming into a new era.

The Harder They Fall is available to stream on Netflix now.