“The Thicket” (2024), starring Peter Dinklage, Juliette Lewis, Esmé Creed-Miles, Levon Hawke and Leslie Grace with Gbenga Akinnagbe / Z-View

The Thicket (2024)

Director: Elliott Lester

Screenplay: Chris Kelley, based on THE THICKET by Joe R. Lansdale

Stars: Peter Dinklage, Juliette Lewis, Esmé Creed-Miles, Levon Hawke, Gbenga Akinnagbe, Ned Dennehy, James Hetfield, Macon Blair, Arliss Howard, Leslie Grace,  Ryan Robbins, Teach Grant,  Derek Gilroy, Roger LeBlanc and David Midthunder.

Tagline: Death comes fast in Texas

The Plot…

Jack, his sister Lula and their grandfather Caleb, are on their way to Caleb’s 700 acre ranch in Montana.  At a ferry crossing they come across the infamous outlaw Cut-Throat Bill and her gang.  Caleb is murdered.  Jack left for dead and Lula is kidnapped.

Jack makes it to the next town.  There he sees part-time bounty hunters / grave diggers Reginald Jones and Eustace Howard in action.  Jones and Howard make an unlikely pair.  Jones has dwarfism and Howard is a black man.  Jack wants to hire them to help him rescue his sister.  Jones and Howard are hesitant to go against Cut-Throat Bill and her gang.  When Jack tells them he owns a 700 acre ranch in Montana and offers them land if they take on the job.  They agree knowing that success is unlikely.

What chance does a young kid, and part-time bounty hunters have against Cut-Throat Bill and her gang?  Let’s find out.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

The Thicket is based on Joe R. Lansdale’s novel of the same name released by Mulholland Books on September 10, 2013.  Making the film was a longtime passion project for Peter Dinklage.  Dinklage was first linked to the project in 2014.

Juliette Lewis has never been better.  She owns every scene as the frightening and murderous Cut-Throat Bill.

The Thicket (2024) rates 4 of 5 stars.