Worth Watching, Netflix Original ‘The Highwaymen’
I love my Netflix, but I have to be honest. Those Netflix Original movies can be hit or miss. Nothing is worse than sitting through a two hour movie to find out that it never pays off, or it just plain sucks. (Example: How It Ends.) So when it comes to a Netflix movie that is enjoyable, I like to give those credit as well. That's the case with 'The Highwaymen.'
It stars Kevin Costner and Woody Harrelson. They play forced into retirement Texas Rangers who are called back to help catch Bonnie & Clyde. Both of them are old and out of shape. Costner's character, while a bit rusty, has fared well during the great depression. Harrelson's character lost everything and is down on his luck. It's a story of a bit of redemption for both of them. What really works though is the story line. While some of the bombs Netflix has put out that have no plot line, this one really works well.
Bonnie & Clyde's story has been told in film before, and it was refreshing to see the other side. They were criminals on the run and robbing banks and murdering people, but the public was infatuated with them. It was these Ranger's jobs to hunt down and kill these celebrities. It shows how after all of these years that not much has changed with American's and our sometimes hysterical view of public figures.
The movie does a great job of keeping Bonnie & Clyde elusive. The story isn't about them. It's about catching them. The consistency in this all the way to the end makes the movie that much more enjoyable.
Costner & Harrelson have never looked worse. They play old men and they do it well. Harrelson adds 10 years to his look. ( I had to google his age to see he's only 57.) Costner packed on some pounds and let his silver hair shine. They both embraced the role and it shows. It seems that sometimes these movies put all of their eggs in the basket of one or two actors to carry the film. In this case it works out.
So overall, I'd give this movie a solid 8/10. It's a Netflix Original worth watching.