Toby (Chris Pine) and Tanner (Ben Foster) are brothers from a farm in Texas. Their mom passed away, and the farm is being foreclosed on. Toby is terribly behind on child support payments to his ex-wife. Tanner is the black sheep of the family. Both are impulsive and combative.
In a frantic effort to save the farm they decide to rob various branches of the bank that is foreclosing on them. They intend to steal just enough to pay off the mortgage. But things go sideways quickly when a Texas Ranger by the name of Marcus (Jeff Bridges) gets on the case. With this partner Alberto (Gil Birmingham), he pursues the robbers with relentless energy and insight and eventually brings about a final showdown.
Hell or High Water plays in West Texas, where it’s hot and dry and flat, and the men all carry guns and drive large trucks. The movie does a nice job depicting life in that environment. It received a surprising 98% on the Tomatometer, and while I enjoyed the story, it wasn’t good enough to satisfy my self-imposed requirement for more than two stars.
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