Reputation could make or break a film. While making what is arguably one of the greatest films of all time, Apocalypse Now, Francis Ford Coppola went through a plethora of production delays including casting switches, health problems with his lead actor, severe weather, and even marital issues. However, even with this reputation, when it premiered (rather unfinished and reedited three times since) at the Cannes Film Festival in 1979, it was hailed as a surreal masterpiece and took home the coveted Palme d’Or. A year later in 1980, Michael Cimino (who brought us the war masterpiece The Deer Hunter) was given what was practically considered a blank check by the studio United Artists and created the epic western Heaven’s Gate, which went over four times its planned budget and had multiple controversies behind its production including animal abuse and excessive retakes. It initially had the reverse effect of Apocalypse Now as it was one of the biggest box office flops of all time, was crucified by critics, and heralded the end of an era where films were director-driven rather than studio-driven. However, later on in 2012, the film was given justice with a 212-minute director’s cut that was met with critical acclaim and a home release by The Criterion Collection. Needless to say, the two aforementioned examples of how reputation could make or break a film are extremes on either end of the scale. In October 2021, while filming Joel Souza’s independent western Rust, cinematographer Halyna Hutchins (Archenemy) was fatally shot and killed by a live round fired from a revolver in the hand of the film’s lead actor and producer Alec Baldwin. It took four years, which included a baffling ABC News interview with Baldwin, a trial in the eyes of the public, and an actual trial that resulted in a guilty verdict with the film’s armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, Rust finally hit theatres on May 2, 2025. Any kind of bad reputation, including one that involves tragedy, has the potential to ruin a film’s future. Now, with the film available on home video, audiences can explore it for themselves.
Rust begins in 1882 in the Wyoming Territory with Lucas Hollister (Patrick Scott McDermott), a young 13-year-old who cares for his younger brother, Jacob (Easton Malcolm), after their parents’ recent deaths. After accidentally killing the father of a boy who bullied his younger brother, Lucas is sentenced to death by hanging. Before long, he is rescued (and kidnapped) by his tougher-than-nails, legendary outlaw grandfather Harland Rust (Alec Baldwin). As they flee the territory, there are pursued by different camps, including one led by disillusioned marshal Wood Helm (Josh Hopkins) who is dealing with grief of his son falling victim to an illness and the other led by mentally unstable bounty hunter Fenton “Preacher” Lang (Travis Fimmel). Rust may not have the most unique storyline for a western but it has the right ingredients for an engaging film.
What follows is a review of a Blu-ray retail copy provided by Alliance Entertainment.
Focusing on the acting, theatrical film newcomer Patrick Scott McDermott is fantastic as Lucas; he holds his own on screen alongside Baldwin (30 Rock; Beetlejuice) and any other actor he performs with. The performance is neither pretentious nor out-of-place, it is fitting and palpable. Baldwin (who shares both a producer and story credit on the film) delivers a great late-career performance as Rust. He embodies the stature of a man whose best years are behind him, his stubborn reputation precedes him (hint hint), and after it all, doesn’t have anything to show for it except just being known as a badass. His chemistry with McDermott soars on the screen and their scenes together create a compelling side plot of a stubborn grandfather who is badly in need of that fleeting thing called redemption trying to reconcile with his equally stubborn grandson and making sure he doesn’t fall into the same fate as him. The pairing of these characters carries depth, it’s heartwarming, entertaining, and even brings a few laughs.
The only problem here is that there are two other characters involved on the other side of the hunt who the film does not give us enough reason to care about — Marshall Helm and bounty hunter “Preacher.” Josh Hopkins (Only the Brave) brings solid gravitas to the role of Marshall Helm, a man too depressed with his own familial tragedy to care about the lawlessness and unforgiving world he works in. In short, he’s too sappy for this for this hard, unforgiving land. There’s nothing wrong with the character of Marshall Helm per se, he’s just in the wrong film. He’s a bummer of a character who belongs in a modern-day melodrama instead of a hard-edged western redemption tale. The Old West is a sad, morose setting as it is; throwing someone depressed in there is just adding redundant, tonally-confusing fuel to the fire. Then there’s the role of “Preacher,” a character whom one character unironically addresses as “all horn and no rattle.” “Preacher” is the big bad of the movie that never fulfills his promise of being big and bad. Two key scenes to note. One in which he speaks with an African-American lady of the night about what each of them do and where they come from. He matter-of-factly states that he used to hunt runaway slaves with a sinister twinkle in his eye. Before the scene escalates or something happens that shows this character to aptly be someone that no one should mess with, “Preacher” reverts back into creepy flirtation and the film just cuts to something else. Ok, that’s fine. In the other scene to note, when he is interrogating a woman who has just helped Rust and Lucas on their trail to freedom, the scene goes from creepy flirtation to intense intimidation (through Fimmel’s intense thousand-yard stare and pushing the woman up against a wall) to back to creepy flirtation. Then, another cut. These women don’t die, neither is it assumed they were murdered or assaulted, the film just … moves on. Travis Fimmel, known for his role on Vikings and Dune: Prophecy, understands the assignment and is aptly casted for a big, bad role such as “Preacher”. However, it’s a shame that such a game character actor doesn’t have much to work with in this underdeveloped role. “Preacher” is a character the film flirts with being dangerous — and constantly reiterates the threat that he could be dangerous — but never delivers on this promise, leaving the character as another factor of the film that is just not needed. On the inspired side of casting, Francis Fisher (Unforgiven) shares a few good scenes as Lucas’s tough, high-class aunt Evelyn Basset, and Devon Werkheiser (from Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide – a show from my childhood!) and Rhys Coiro (Hustlers) provide solid comedic effect as Boone and Clete Lafontaine, two men who tag along with Marshall Helm in his hunt for Harland and Lucas.
The film Rust ends with the quote by the talented, gone-too-soon cinematographer Hutchins — “What can we do to make this film better?”. That question, propelled by ambition and professionalism, shows in every aspect of the visual presentation of this picture. Hutchins’s cinematography (assisted by Bianca Cline after her death) paired with Souza’s direction is visually strong here. The staging, the lighting, and the color are stunning enough to possibly elevate this picture beyond usual Western fare. The only thing befalling the final product is its storyline and badly written characterization of its two supporting characters. Rust clocks in at a whooping 140 minutes (still shorter than Heaven’s Gate) and while there is a good film that could be re-edited and taken out of those 140 minutes, the film ultimately comes off as bloated and unfocused. Lean on any special features (especially given the tragedy behind production), Rust is presented in a 1080 p feature presentation with English subtitles. In the end, Rust is not a groundbreaking film. It’s a gorgeously made film but not a well-told film. This dissonance of story and look may not cause moviegoers to look at the film twice, but hey, an ambitious swing is an ambitious swing.
No bonus features included with the home release.
Available on Blu-ray and DVD July 22nd, 2025.
For more information, head to the official DECAL Releasing Rust webpage.
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Categories: Home Release, Home Video, Recommendation, Reviews
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