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Brimstone
2016 148 min Belgium, France, Germany, Netherlands, Sweden, United Kingdom R 18+
★6.5
Thriller, Western, Drama
Director: Martin Koolhoven
Trailers
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Description
In the menacing inferno of the old North-American West, Liz is a genuine survivor who is hunted by a vengeful preacher for a crime she didn’t commit.
Budget:
$13M
Starring
Guy Pearce
Actor
Dakota Fanning
Actor
Emilia Jones
Actor
Awards
Venice Film Festival 2016
— Golden Lion
Saturn Awards 2018
— Best International Feature Film
Key opinion
Brimstone is a visually striking and emotionally intense Western that effectively utilizes a non-linear narrative to explore dark themes of patriarchal oppression and religious fanaticism. While the performances by Dakota Fanning and Guy Pearce are widely praised, the film’s brutal subject matter and significant runtime leave audiences deeply divided on whether its ambition justifies its relentless grimness.
| Acting | Dakota Fanning delivers a mature and nuanced lead performance that anchors the film's emotional intensity. | |
| Acting | Guy Pearce provides a chilling and memorable portrayal of a fanatical, villainous preacher. | |
| Production | The production design and period-accurate cinematography successfully create an immersive, albeit bleak, atmosphere. | |
| Runtime | The 2.5-hour runtime is a point of contention: some viewers appreciate the deliberate, epic scope, while others find the film overlong and repetitive. | |
| Emotion | The graphic, relentless nature of the violence and subject matter is lauded by some as brave and realistic, while others find it gratuitously disturbing or morally repulsive. | |
| Screenplay | The non-linear, four-chapter structure is seen by some as an effective tool for feminist thematic depth, whereas others argue it makes the timeline feel ambiguous and the pacing uneven. |