Idris Elba's Star-studded Revenge Western Streaming On Netflix Deserves Another Look

Netflix

Jaymes Samuels, a.k.a. The Bullitts, directed one of the best films of 2021 with his stylish Netflix Western "The Harder They Fall." Boasting an impressive cast of talented actors, "The Harder They Fall" is a broad, vibrant, revisionist historical remix that brings together the most notable Black cowboys, gunslingers, and outlaws of the American West and allows them to interact in a wildly fun, cinematic revenge story. Idris Elba plays Rufus Buck, the leader of a gang that goes on a notorious crime spree. Meanwhile, Delroy Lindo portrays Bass Reeves, the famed Deputy U.S. Marshal, while Zazie Beetz plays Stagecoach Mary, the heroic postwoman who protects the mail with a collection of guns, should shooting be called for. 

Jonathan Majors has since been ousted as an abuser, but he stars in "The Harder They Fall" as Nat Love, the famed cowboy and author. He may be persona non grata now, but at the time, many were merely impressed by Majors' performance. Samuels, in bringing all of history's most famous Black Western heroes together, seems to be re-claiming the genre from the likes of white actors like John Wayne or Roy Rogers. The Western, he declares, doesn't have to be the purview of the white male. 

Critics were very positive on "The Harder They Fall," and it currently holds an 88% critical rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 197 reviews. In a 2021 essay for Variety, Australian maximalist filmmaker Baz Luhrmann explained how much he loved the film's style, writing, "In 'The Harder They Fall,' Samuel creates a new American myth in a fresh, uncharacteristic, and highly personal language and telling for that genre. Simply, he's opened the Western to all." High praise indeed.

Netflix

"The Harder They Fall" may feature real-life characters, but its revenge plot is wholly fictional. The film centers on the grown-up Nat Love, whose family was murdered by Rufus Buck when he was a boy. Love is in cahoots with Bill Pickett (Edi Gathegi) and Jim Beckworth (R.J. Cyler), who, at the start of the film, steal a jackpot that was taken in a recent train robbery ... money that was originally stolen by Rufus Buck. 

Buck, meanwhile, has recently been freed from a stint in prison thanks to his gang leaders Trudy Smith (Regina King) and Cherokee Bill (LaKeith Stanfield), and he aims to regain his gangland power. For instance, he controls the sheriff of a small town, Wily Escoe, played by Deon Cole. Nat Love, meanwhile, tries to romance his old girlfriend Mary and goes on a mission of revenge when he learns that Rufus Buck is free. Also in the film are Danielle Deadwyler, Damon Wayans, Jr., DeWanda Wise, and Michael Beach. It's an all-star affair and a blast to watch, even when "The Harder They Fall" ends with a sobering message about the cycle of violence.

Interestingly, though, its cast almost looked totally different. Back in 2016, Variety reported that big names like Wesley Snipes, Rosario Dawson, and Michael K. Williams were among the actors set to star in the movie, but delays brought on by COVID led to their departure. In 2020, The Hollywood Reporter confirmed that Cynthia Erivo had bowed out for the same reason.

Indeed, many viewers probably missed "The Harder They Fall" partly because of COVID. It played briefly in theaters, but moviegoing was only slowly regaining momentum as a safe activity back then. Netflix's lack of promotion for the film didn't help its cause, either.

Netflix

"The Harder They Fall" was yet another one of Netflix's expensive, ostensibly high-profile projects that the streamer didn't seem to care much about. Netflix has long been notorious for releasing super-pricey original films with little to no fanfare, leaving its subscribers unaware of their very existence. Some folks believe that Netflix only makes certain movies as a way of increasing its stock value, so make what you will of such idle speculation.

Regardless, this film is pretty amazing. It's slick and contains all the gloss that its $90 million budget warrants. Critics also loved it. As K. Austin Collins wrote for Rolling Stone:

"The movie's definitely got politics on its mind — the politics of representation perhaps above all — but more than that, it wants to enjoy the liberty of Black storytelling that can't be confused for after-school educational viewing. This is a Friday night affair: It wants to rouse us out of our seats — and it does. Samuel's movie, with its reggae-inflected soundtrack and booming cast [...] revels in the freedoms of pastiche, reckless violence, and glossy, staccato style. Music cues bump and sway with a joyful disregard for period accuracy." 

Other reviews were equally ecstatic, praising the film's political stance, its brazen reclaiming of a genre, and, more than anything, its style. Some critics felt it was messy, but I would rather a movie be messy in service of big ideas and creative enthusiasm than be clean and empty. (Be sure to read /Film's interview with Tom Eagles, the film's editor.)

"The Harder They Fall" is still streaming on Netflix and should definitely be checked out. Don't let this one get lost in the platform's ever-growing sea of forgotten media.